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Bible. 

The  Book  of  Jubilees 

The  Book  of  Jubilees 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  ETHIOPIC 


BY 

REV.    GEORGE     H  .  '  SC  HO  DDE  ,     Pn.D 

PROFKSSOK  IN  CAIMTAL  I'NIVliWSlTV,  C()I,i;.\I  HI  S,  OHIO 


()hi:rlin,  onio: 
•  E.  J.   (GOODRICH 

1888 


INTRODUCTORY   NOTES. 


One  of  the  most  marked  features  of  theological  research 
in  our  day  and  decade  is  the  intense  interest  which  char- 
acterizes the  work  in  biblical  theology,  technically  so 
called,  and  in  this  department  no  auxiliary  branch  has 
been  more  productive  of  good  results  than  has  been  that 
discipline  called  History  of  New  Testament  Times,  or  the 
study  of  the  times  of  Christ  as  to  their  religious,  moral, 
and  social  features.  The  aim  of  such  study  is  to  repro- 
duce, as  far  as  possible,  the  exact  picture  of  Christ's 
earthly  career  in  the  midst  of  all  the  agencies  which  influ- 
enced him  and  upon  which  he  exerted  his  influence ;  in 
other  words,  to  understand  Christ's  words  and  works  with 
their  true  historical  background  and  surroundings.  It  is 
a  line  of  investigation  that  has  produced,  indirectly,  such 
masterpieces  as  Weber's  System  der  altsynagogalen  paliis- 
tiniscJicn  Thcologie  (Leipzig,  1880),  and,  directly,  such  as 
Edersheim's  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  as  also 
the  two  Neu-TcstanicntlicJie  ZcitgescJiicJitcn,  of  Schiirer  and 
Hausrath,  as  well  as  many  other  works,  smaller  in  dimen- 
sions and  more  closely  circiunscribed  in  scope,  while  the 
spirit  and  method  of  this  research  is  felt  in  every  fibre  of 
the  leading  exegetical  and  historical  works  on  biblical 
subjects.  The  object  of  all  this  study  is  to  produce  an 
accurate  and  truly  historical  picture  of  Christ  and  Chris- 
tianity. 

In  the  pursuit  of  this  aim  the  Book  of  Jubilees  has  a 
not  unimportant  mission.  This  importance  lies  in  the  fact 
that  it,  if  carefully  studied,  will  furnish  valuable  contribu- 
tions toward  the  understanding  of  that  problem  which 
lies  back  and  behind  all  the  work  and  teachings  of  both 


X  INTRODUCTORY  NOTES. 

Christ  and  his  disciples,  as  also  of  the  writings  of  the  lat- 
ter, namely,  the  doctrines,  beliefs,  and  spirit  of  New  Test- 
ament Judaism.  Christ  came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own 
received  him  not  (John  i.  ii),  because  Israel  had  departed 
from  the  revelations  of  God.  Instead  of  a  justification  by 
faith,  as  is  taught  throughout  the  whole  Old  Testament, 
the  cotemporaries  of  our  Lord  taught  a  justification  by  the 
law,  a  legal  righteousness.  The  central  principle  of  Jew- 
ish orthodoxy  was  the  nomistic  })rinciple,  that  obedience 
to  the  law  in  all  its  real  and  imagined  ramifications  must 
be  the  basis  of  acceptance  before  God.  Thus  there  was 
an  impassable  gulf  fixed  between  the  theological  system 
of  the  Jews  and  that  of  Christ  and  his  disciples.  The 
latter  was  a  further  development  from  Old  Testament 
premises;  the  former  was  a  radical  departure  from  all 
pre-Christian  revelation.  This  woful  heterod(^xy,  which 
constituted  the  backbone  and  marrow  of  the  accepted 
theology  of  the  day,  meets  Christ  and  his  disciples 
wherever  they  work  or  speak,  and  has  been  an  all-power- 
ful factor  in  moulding  the  shape  and  form  which  the  New 
Testament  revelation  and  development  has  assumed.  We 
need  in  this  connection  to  cite  as  examples  onh'^  the  Paul- 
ine doctrine  of  the  law,  in  which  he  antagonizes,  not  the 
law  as  such,  but  onh'  the  false  stand-point  of  the  Jews  in 
regard  to  the  law,  and  his  outspoken  and  decided  cham- 
pionshi]^  of  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  alone 
over  against  a  justification  by  works,  suggested,  beyond 
all  doubt,  by  the  fundamental  error  of  the  Jewish  system 
of  his  day. 

In  the  study  of  these  ])roblems  the  book  before  us  finds 
its  mission.  The  editor  of  the  Ethiopic  text  and  German 
translator.  Professor  Dilhnami,  has  jjrovcd  to  the  satisfac- 
ticjn  of  scholars  in  general,  that  the  book  is  a  i)roduction 
of  the  first  Christian  century.  In  Rwa\(\'i^  /(r/irb/ic/icr  tier 
biblisclicn  Wisscnscliaft  for  1850  and  1851,  he  lias  publislu-d 
a  German  translation  of  the  book  Ironi  a  single  and 
defective  manuscript,  and  added  a  short  discussion  of  the 


TXTKODUCTORV  NOTES.  XI 

contents.  There  (pp.  90-4)  he  shows  that  the  book  presup- 
poses and  cites  those  parts  of  the  Book  of  Enoch  which 
date  up  to  about  the  birth  of  Christ,  while  it,  in  turn,  has 
been  used  and  quoted  by  the  Testament  of  the  Twelve 
Patriarchs,  a  work  simikar  in  spirit  and  a  product  of  the 
early  part  of  the  second  century.  .  This  will  decide  the 
end  of  the  first  century  after  Christ  as  the  date  for  the 
composition  of  the  Book  of  Jubilees.  By  Christian  au- 
thors the  work  is  not  quoted  until  later.  Epiphanius, 
Jerome,  and  Rufinus  are  the  first  to  mention  it,  while 
SyncellVis,  Cedrinus,  and  other  Byzantine  writers  quote 
from  it  at  length.  These  citations  are  collected  in  Fabri- 
cius,  Codex  Pscudcpigraplius  \^eteris  Tcstaincnti,  1722,  vol.  i. 
pp.  849-64.  But  the  testimony  of  the  Tcstamcntum  XII. 
PatriarcJiariiDi  is  decisive  as  to  the  tcnninus  ad  qncni. 
Ronsch,  who  has  made  a  most  exhaustive  study  of  the 
book,  confidently  claims  that  it  w^as  written  before  the 
destruction  of  the  temple,  pointing  to  the  words  in  c.  i, 
23;  49,  27,  and  similar  passages,  which  could  not  have 
been  written  after  that  event.  Cf.  also  Drummond,  The 
Jewish  Messiah,  p.  146,  and  Schiirer,  1.  c.  463. 

As  the  book  is  undoubtedly  the  work  of  a  Palestinian 
Jew  and  w^-itten  in  Hebrew  (although  the  Ethiopic  is 
translated  from  the  Greek  —  cf.  Dillmann,  1.  c.  p.  88  ff.),  it 
can  be  fairl}-  considered  as  an  outgrowth  of  that  school 
and  spirit  of  Judaism  which  w-e  in  the_  New  Testament 
find  arrayed  in  opposition  to  Christianity  and  its  \vork. 
The  book  can  best  be  described  by  calling  it  a  haggadic 
commentary  on  certain  portions  of  Genesis  and  the 
opening  chapters  of  Exodus,  and  it  is  thus  the  oldest  of 
all  the  Midrashim,  and  a  representative  example  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  learned  contemporaries  of  Christ 
made  use  of  the  biblical  books  for  their  own  peculiar  i)ur- 
pose  and  object.  It  is  a  sample  of  an  exegetical  Targum 
of  those  days  in  the  spirit  of  New  Testament  Judaism. 
Just  to  what  [)articular  school  of  Jewish  thought  it  owes 
its  origin  would  l)e  difficult  to  decide.      Since  the  publica- 


XU  INTRODUCTORY  NOTES. 

tion  of  the  German  translation,  a  number  of  Jewish  schol- 
ars, such  as  Jellenek  {Bcth-ha-Midrash,  1855,  p.  x.  ff.),  Beer 
{Dns  BucJi  dcr  Jubildeji,  1856),  Frankel  {Alonatsschrift  fur 
Gcschiclitc  u.  Wisscnsc]iaft  dcs  JiidciitJiums,  1856),  and  earlier, 
Treuenfels  {Litcraturblatt  dcs  Orients,  p.  1846),  have  dis- 
cussed the  problem,  one  advocating  a  Samaritan  origin, 
another  an  Essene,  another  claiming  that  it  arose  in  the 
Egyptian  Diaspora,  but  all  agreeing  as  to  its  thoroughly 
Jewish  origin  and,  in  general,  its  representative  character, 
while  Ronsch  even  thinks  that  he  detects  an  anti-Christian 
tendency  {Das  Buck  dcr  Jubilaen,  odcr  die  kleine  Genesis, 
pp.  518-20). 

What  time  and  source  would  indicate  is  amply  verified 
by  an  examination  of  the  contents,  '^his,'  of  course,  can 
not  be  the  place,  nor  is  it  our  object,  to  analyze  criticall}'^ 
the  contents  of  the  book,  but  by  pointing  to  a  few  prom- 
inent features  it  will  be  readily  seen  how  thoroughly  the 
book  harmonizes  with  the  leading  thoughts  of  Jewish 
orthodox}'  in  Christ's  day.  The  centre  of  that  orthodoxy 
was  the  law  and  its  paraphernalia,  and  all  means,' lawful 
and  unlawful,  were  put  into  requisition  to  exalt  the  im- 
portance of  that  law  and  to  increase  its  authority.  The 
eternity  and  pre-existence  of  this  law,  its  festivals  and  its 
ceremonies,  are  accepted  beliefs  of  lat6r  Judaism  (cf. 
Weber,  1.  c.  jj  4  ff.).  To  the  service  of  this  dogma  the 
writer  of  the  Book  of  Jubilees  has  lent  his  pen.  He 
again  and  again  maintains  the  thesis  that  the  law  existed 
from  eternity,  although  revealed  in  full  only  through 
Moses;  that  even  in  heaven,  before  the  creation,  the 
angels  observed  the  festivals,  services,  and  ceremonies  of 
this  law ;  that  throughout  their  lives  the  patriarchs  all 
strictly  carried  out  its  behests.  All  these  things  were 
written  on  the  "tablets  of  heaven,"  and  were  gradually 
introduced  among  the  pious  fathers  as  occasion  offered  an 
opp(jrtunity,  and  the  teachings  concerning  them  were 
laid  down  in  writing  at  the  very  beginning,  which  books 
of  mvstci-\-  were  handed  down  from  father  to  son  in  theo- 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTES.  XIll 

cratic  succession.  This  is  the  leading  thought  of  the 
whole  work,  and,  in  some  form  or  other,  is  found  in  nearly 
every  chapter.  It  is  a  remarkable  example  of  how  willing 
the  Jews  in  Christ's  day  were  to  employ  a  most  remark- 
able exegesis  in  order  to  make  the  records  of  revelation 
accord  with  their  false  view  of  its  legal  features. 

Besides  this  leading  characteristic  of  the  work,  there  are 
many  others  of  less  importance  that  are  interesting  and 
instructive,  and  that  cast  a  discerning  light  on  the. Jewish 
world  of  thought  at  the  New  Testament  era.  Outwardly 
the  leading  feature  is  the  chronological  system  of  the 
book,  namely,  its  division  of  all  ancient  histor}-  of  the 
Israelites  according  to  the  sacred  periods  of  jubilees  of 
.forty-nine  years,  A)diich  fact  gives  it  one  of  its  Greek 
names,  Ta  'If«y8?7XaiOB(Epiphanius,  adv.  Her.,  i ,  3, 6),  the  other 
being  /;  Xeirry)  yevecmf;,  XeiTTO'yeveai'i,  or  /xLKpo'yevecri'i,  so  called, 
not  because  it^is  shorter  than  the  canonical  Genesis,  but  be- 
cause it  had  less  authority.  The  time  between  the  crea- 
tion and  the  entrance  of  Israel  into  Canaan  is  counted  as 
fifty  jubileps,  or  2,450  years,  which  in  general  agrees  with 
the  biblical  records.  In  the  details  of  this  chronological 
arrangement  there  are  occasionally  slight  variations  from 
the  Hebrew  text,  and  in  these  instances  there  is  often  a 
surprising  agreement  with  the  Septuagint  and  the  Samar- 
itan versions.  Dillmann  is  probably  correct  (p.  yy)  in 
ascribing  these  variations  from  the  Hebrew,  not  to  the 
author,  but  to  the  translator,  accommodating  the  numbers 
to  the  Septuagint  text  recognized  among  the  Greeks. 

It  is  remarkable  how  the  writer  bridges  over  all  the 
difficulties  of  the  canonical  Genesis.  The  speaking  ot  the 
serpent  in  Paradise  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  betore  the 
fall  all  animals  could  speak;  he  knows  the  names  of  all  the 
wives  of  the  patriarchs,  also  the  day  and  month  when 
their  children  were  born;  he  shows  how  Genesis  ii.  17 
was  literally  fulfilled,  since  before  the  Lord  a  thousand 
years  are  as.  one  day,  and  Adam  died  before  he  was  a 
thousand  years  old ;  a  parallel  exegesis  to  this  is  found  in 


XIV  INTRODUCTORY  NOTES. 

Justin  Martyr  c.  Try  phone  8i.  He  narrates  with  whose 
assistance  Noah  brought  the  animals  into  the  ark ;  how 
the  llamitic  tribes  of  Palestine  unlawfully  took  possession 
of  Shem's  portion ;  that  Rebecca  loved  Jacob  more  than 
Esau  because  Abraham  had  told  her  that  the  younger 
son  would  be  the  theocratic  successor;  also  why  it  was 
that  Amnon  refused  to  take  Tamar  to  wife  ;  how  JNIoses 
was  preserved  in  the  bulrushes,  etc.,  and  many  other  bib- 
lical narratives  are  explained  and  complemented  in  various 
manners,  usually  in  an  apologetical  spirit. 

The  book  is  also  full  of  stories  and  fables  concerning 
the  fathers  in  Israel,  some  of  these  being  found  also  in  the 
Testament  of  the  Twelve  Patriarchs,  and  other  earlier 
and  later  works,  but  many  not  preserved  elsewhere.  In 
this  connection  we  mention  the  names  of  the  wives  of  the 
patriarchs  and  of  the  sons  of  Jacob ;  the  name  of  the  land 
to  which  Adam  was  driven  after  the  expulsion  from  Eden  ; 
the  number  of  the  sons  of  Adam ;  the  four  sacred  moun- 
tains of  the  earth ;  the  name  of  the  mountain  of  the  Ara- 
rat chain  where  the  ark  rested ;  the  extensive  account  of 
the  fall  of  the  angels  in  the  days  of  Jared,  together  with 
the  dire  consequences  of  their  sins  with  the  daughters  of 
men,  which  story  forms  the  burden  of  the  earliest  por- 
tions of  the  book;  the  story  of  the  books  of  Enoch, 
Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  others;  the  early  days  of 
Abraham,  '.  ^s  piety,  and  light  against  the  idolatry  of  his 
father's  house;  the  ten  temptations  of  Abraham,  and 
many  similar  stories  concerning  Jacob  and  his  relations  to 
Esau,  and  concerning  the  sons  of  Jacob  and  their  history. 
The  angelology  and  demonology  of  the  book  are  carried 
out  quite  ouMsively,  and  in  the  main  thoughts  agree 
with  the  ideas  f  )und  in  other  apocalyi)tic  works.  The 
]:)atriarchs  are  all  models  of  virtue,  and  especially  i^romi- 
nent  through  their  observance  of  the  Levitical  ordinances 
and  ceremonies.  The  rest  of  the  work  is  in  harmony  with 
these  statements.  Both  through  what  it  states  and  what 
it  omits,  the  work  is  instructive  in  teaching  what  was  the 
Zeitgeist  among  the  Jews  in  those  memorable  days. 


INTRODUCTORV  NOTKS.  XV 

But,  of  course,  the  full  contribution  of  the  Book  of 
Jubilees  to  the  New  Testament  can  only  be  secured 
through  a  careful  and  patient  study  of  every  chapter  and 
verse.  In  order  to  enable  scholars  who  are  not  ac(piainted 
with  the  Ethiopic  to  do  this  work,  the  present  translation 
is  here  offered.  It  has  been  made  directly  from  the  best 
Ethiopic  text  accessible,  and  with  the  best  aids  at  the  trans- 
lator's command.  As  has  been  stated  above,  the  German 
translation  by  Dillmann  is  from  a  single  defective  and 
poor  manuscript.  Nine  years  after  its  publication,  in  1859, 
Dillmann,  the  prince  of  Ethiopic  scholars  in  our  century, 
issued  a  critical  edition"  of  the  Ethiopic  text  on  the  basis 
of  two  manuscripts,  entitled.  Liber  JiLbilacoriini  Qui  idem  a 
Graecis'W  XeTrr?;  <yeve(TL<;  iiiscribitiir,  vcrsio)ie  Graeca  deperdita, 
)iuuc  muinisi  in  Geez  lingua  eonservatiis,  niiper  ex  Abyssinia 
in  Europain  a  Hat  us,  AetJiiopice  ad  duorum  libroruiii  uieMiu- 
scriptoritui  fidem  primum  edidit  Dr.  August  Dilluuvnt.  He 
had  hoped  himself  to  make  a  new  translation  of  the  book 
from  this  improved  text  (cf.  Praefatio  p.  x.),  but  has  never 
been  able  to  do  so.  In  Ronsch's  edition,  however,  of  a 
Latin  fragment  of  the  book  found  in  1861  by  Ceriani,  and 
embracing  about  one-third  of  the  book,  he  has  given  a 
Latin  translation  from  the  Ethiopic  of  those  sections  cor- 
responding to  the  Ceriani  fragment.  The  need  of  a  new 
translation  has  frequently  been  urged  (cf.,^-.^.,  Drummond, 
1.  c,  p.  144).  As  there  is  no  such  version  in  any  modern 
language,  the  present  translator  has  attempted  to  do  this, 
leaving  to  others  to  investigate  the  book  in  its  whole 
length,  depth,  and  breadth.  In  order  to  facilitate  the  study 
of  the  book,  the  translator  has  not  only  adopted  the  divis- 
ion of  Dillmann  into  chapters,  but  has  also  divided  these 
again  into  verses.  The  lack  of  this  latter  feature  in  Dill- 
mann makes  the  use  of  his  version  very  ditificult.  The 
fullest  discussion  of  the  book  is  that  of  Riinsch,  besides 
whose  work  those  mentioned  in  this  introductory  note 
may  be  consulted.  The  English  reader  will  liiul  valuable 
aid  in  Drummond,  p[x  143-147. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 


These  are  the  words  of  the  division  '  of  da3-s,  according 
to  the  law  and  testimony,'  according  to  the  events  of  the 
years,  according  to  their  sevens,  according  to  their  Jubi- 
lees, to  all  the  years  of  the  world,  according  to  the  word 
of  the  Lord  on  Mount  Sinai  to  Moses,  when  he  ascended 
to  receive  the  stone  tablets  of  the  law  and  the  command- 
ments by  the  voice  of  the  Lord  when  he  said  to  him : 
"Ascend  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  !  "  " 

Chap.  L  And  it  happened  in  the  first  year  of  the  exo- 
dus of  the  children  of  Lsrael  out  of  Egypt,  in  the  3rd  month, 
on  the  1 6th  of  this  month,  and  the  Lord  spoke  to  Moses 
saying:  '"'Ascend  to  me  here  on  the  mountain,  and  I  will 
give  to  thee  the  two  stone  tablets  of  the  law  and  the 
commandments;  as  I  have  written  them,  thou  shalt  make 
them  known."  2.  And  Moses  ascended  the  mountain  of 
the  Lord,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  dwelt  on  the  moun- 
tain of  Sinai,  and  a  cloud  overshadowed  it  six  days.  3. 
And  the   Lord  called  to  Moses  on  the  seventh  day  in  the 

'  Kfifale,  i.  e.,  division,  or  rather,  "Book  of  Division,"  is  the  name  by 
which  this  book  is  known  among  the  Abyssinians.  As  such  it  is  cited,  e.  g., 
in  the  Apostolic  Canons,  55.  In  Fell's  edition,  c.  56,  we  read  of  "three 
books  of  the  Kiifale."  The  name  is  derived  from  the  fact  that  the  author 
divides  the  history  he  records  according  to  the  chronological  system  of 
jubilee  periods. 

•'  Ik)th  words  used  in  the  original  for  law  and  testimony  are  frequently 
employed  for  "covenant,"  (^tudi/hri.  The  two  together  evidently  express  the 
covenant  relation  between  Israel  and  Jehovah. 

■'  In  claiming  divine  and  Sinaitic  authority  for  the  production  before  us, 
the  author  does  nothing  more  than  what  is  claimed  for  the  whole  of  the  oral 
traditions  of  the  Jews.  Cf.  especially  the  opening  sentences  of  the  Pirkc 
Abotli  in  the  Mishna.  The  apocalypses  of  the  same  period  also  claim  in- 
spiration, prominently  the  book  of  F.noch.  Such  i\. /'iti  /nius  was  manifestly 
not  considered  a  moral  wrong. 


2  'rin'.  r.ooK  <n'  jriiii.KKs. 

midst  of  the  cloud;  and  he  saw  the  glor)-  of  the  Lord 
like  a  flaming  fire  on  the  toj)  of  the  mountain.'  4.  And 
Moses  was  there  on  the  mountain  fortv  days  and  forty 
nights,  and  the  Lord  instructed  him  in  regard  to  what 
was  past  and  what  would  be,  the  words  of  the  division  of 
days,  both  in  the  law  and  the  testimony.  5.  And  ke  said  to 
him:  "Incline  thy  heart  to  every  word  which  1  shall 
speak  to  thee,  and  write  them  into  a  book,  in  order  that 
their  generations  may  see  how  I  have  left  them  on  account 
of  all  the  evil  which  they  do,  in  rebelling  and  in  deserting 
the  covenant  which  I  established  between  me  and  thee 
this  day  on  Mount  Sinai  for  their  generations.  6.  And  it 
will  be  and  these  words  shall  declare  it  thus  when  all  the 
punishments  shall  come  over  them,  and  they  will  know 
that  I  am  more  righteous  than  they  in  all  their  judgments 
and  their  desires,  and  they  will  know  that  I  was  with 
them.  7.  And  thou,  write  for  thyself  all  these  words 
which  1  make  known  to  thee  this  day  (for  I  know  their 
rebellion  and  their  stiff  neck")  before  1  shall  lead  them 
into  the  land  which  I  have  sworn  to  their  fathers,  to 
Abraham  and  to  Isaac  and  to  Jacob,  saying,  "To  your 
seed  I  will  give  this  land,  which  flows  with  milk  and 
honey;  and  they  shall  eat  and  be  satisfied.  8.  And  they 
will  turn  themselves  to  false  gods,  who  did  not  ck'liver 
them  from  all  their  oppression;  and  this  testimony  will  be 
heard  against  them  for  a  testimony.  9.  For  thcN'  will 
forget  all  my  ordinances  which  I  have  commanded  them, 
and  will  walk  after  the  Gentiles  and  after  their  im|)urity 
and  after  their  shame,  and  will  serve  their  gods,  and  these 
will  become  for  them  an  offence  unto  oppression  and  misfor- 
tune and  foratrap.  10.  And  many  will  be  destroyed  and  will 
betaken  captive  and  will  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
because  they  have  deseited   mv  ordinances  and  my  com- 

'  Cf.    Kx.  xxiv.    15-17. 

'  Deut.  xxxi.  27.  Here,  and  indeed  ihroiij^hout  the  opening  rhajiters  of 
the  l)()()k,  ihere  is  a  marked  siniiiarily  between  the  author's  ideas  and  that 
of  ihe  book  of  lJeuterc)nomy. 


TIIK  r.OOK  OF  jll'.II.KKS.  3 

mands  and  the  Icstivals  ol  ni\-  coxeiiaiit,  and  my  sabbaths 
and  that  wliich  I  have  sanctilietl  to  niysell  in  their  midst, 
and  my  tabernacle  and  my  sanctuary  which  I  have  sancti- 
fied to  myself  in  the  midst  of  the  lantl  that  I  shoidd  set 
my  name  over  it  and  it  should  dwell  there,  ii.  And  they 
will  make  to  themselves  altars  on  heii^hts  and  groves  and 
sculptured  idols,  and  each  one  will  worship  his  own  idol 
for  sin,  and  they  wdll  offer  their  children  to  the  demons 
and  to  all  the  deeds  of  the  error  of  their  hearts.  12.  And 
1  will  send  witnesses  to  them  that  I  ma}-  testify  over 
them,  but  they  will  not  hear  and  will  slay  my  witnesses, 
and  they  will  cast  out  those  who  seek  the  law,  and  will 
abolish  the  whole  [law],  and  will  begin  to  do  evil  before 
my  eyes.  13.  And  I  will  hide  my  face  from  them  and  I 
will  deliver  them  over  to  the  gentiles  for  captivity  and  for 
binding  and  for  devouring  and  for  expelling  them  from 
the  midst  of  the  land,  and  I  shall  scatter  them  in  the 
midst  of  the  gentiles.  14.  And  they  will  forget  all  my 
law  and  all  my  commandments  and  all  mv  judgment, 
and  they  will  err  in  reference  to  new  moons  and  sab- 
baths and  festivals  and  jubilees  and  ordinances.  15.  And 
then  they  will  turn  themselves  to  me  from  the  midst 
of  the  gentiles  with  all  their  hearts  and  all  their  soid 
and  all  their  power,  and  I  shall  gather  them  from 
amongst  all  the  gentiles,  and  they  will  seek  me  that 
I  may  be  found  lor  them  when  they  seek  me  with  all  their 
heart  and  with  all  their  soul,  and  I  will  open  to  them 
much  peace  and  righteousness.  16.  And  1  will  transi)lant 
them  as  a  plant  of  righteousness,  with  all  my  heart  and 
with  all  my  soul,  and  they  will  be  to  me  for  a  blessing  and 
not  for  a  curse,  a  head  and  not  a  tail;  and  I  will  build  up 
my  sanctuar)'  in  their  midst,  and  I  will  dwell  with  them, 
and  1  will  be  to  them  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  to  me 
my  people,  in  truth  and  in  righteousness,  and  1  will  not 
desert  them  and  will  not  deny  them,  for  1  am  the  Lord 
their  God."  17.  And  Moses  fell  down  ui)on  his  face,  and 
he  prayed  and  said:   "My  Lord  and  mv  God,  do  not  for- 


4  THE  liOOK  OF  JUISILEES. 

sake  thy  people  and  thy  inheritance  to  wander  in  the 
error  of  their  hearts,  and  do  not  deliver  them  into  the 
hands  of  their  enemies,  the  gentiles,  that  these  may  not 
rule  over  them,  and  that  they  do  not  make  them  to  sin 
against  thee.  i8.  O  Lord,  let  thy  mercy  be  raised  over 
thy  people,  and  create  for  them  a  righteous  mind,  and  let 
not  the  spirit  of  Beliar '  rule  over  them  to  accuse  them 
before  thee,  to  entrap  them  away  from  the  path  of  right- 
eousness, that  they  be  destroyed  from  before  thy  face.  19. 
But  they  are  thy  people  and  thy  inheritance,  which  thou  hast 
delivered  from  the  hands  of  the  Egyptians  with  thy  great 
power;  and  create  in  them  a  clean  heart  and  a  holv  spirit, 
and  let  them  not  be  entrapped  in  their  sins  from  now  on 
and  to  eternity  !  "  20.  And  the  Lord  said  to  Moses:  "1 
know  their  contrariness  and  their  thoughts  and  their  stiff 
neck,  and  they  will  not  obey  until  they  learn  their  sins 
and  the  sins  of  their  fathers.  And  after  this  they  will 
turn  to  me  in  all  righteousness  and  with  their  whole  heart 
and  with  their  whole  soul,  and  I  will  circumcise  the  fore- 
skin of  their  hearts  and  the  foreskin  of  the  hearts  of  their 
seed,  and  I  will  create  for  them  a  holy  spirit,  and  will  cleanse 
them  so  that  they  do  not  turn  away  from  me  from  this  day 
to  eternity.  21.  And  their  souls  will  cling  to  me  and  to 
all  my  commandments,  and  my  commandments  shall  re- 
turn to  them,  and  I  will  be  to  them  a  father,  and  they  shall 
be  to  me  children.  And  they  shall  all  be  called  the  chil- 
dren of  the  living  God,  and  will  know  all  things  of  the 
spirit  and  all  things  of  service,  and  it  will  be  known  that 
they  are  my  children  and  that  I  am  their  father  in  right- 
eousness and  in  truth,  and  that  1  love  them.  22.  And 
thou,  write  down  for  thyself  all  these  words  which  I  have 
this  day  make  known  to  thee  on  this  moimtain,  the  first 
and  the  last  and  what  is  future,  according  to  all  the  divis- 
ion of  days  in  the  law  and  in  the  testimony,  and  according 

'  licliar,  /■<*/'''«/<,  cf.    2  Cor.    vi.  15,    a    name   of  .Satan    frequently    found    in 
apocalyptic  and  early  ecclesiastical  literature. 


THE  HOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  5 

to  the  weeks '  of  the  jubilees  to  eternity,  until  I  descend 
and  dwell  with  them  in  all  eternity." 

23.  And  he  said  to  the  angel  of  the  face:''  "Write  for 
Moses  from  the  beginning  of  creation  until  my  sanctuary 
shall  have  been  established  in  their  midst  for  all  eternit}-, 
and  the  Lord  will  have  appeared  to  the  eyes  of  all,  and 
all  will  know  that  I  am  the  God  of  Israel  and  the  Father  of 
all  of  the  children  of  Jacob  and  King  on  Mount  Zion  from 
eternity  to  eternity.  And  Zion  and  Jerusalem  will  be 
holy." 

24.  And  the  angel  of  the  face,  who  went  before  the 
tents  of  Israel,  took  the  tablets  of  the  division  of  years 
from  the  time  of  the  creation,  the  law  and  the  testimony 
for  the  weeks  and  the  jubilees,  each  year  according  to  all 
its  numbers  and  the  jubilees  according  to  years  from  the 
day  of  the  new  creation,  when  heaven  and  earth  were 
created  new,  and  also  all  creation  according  to  the  powers 
of  heaven  and  all  the  creation  of  the  earth,  until  then  when 
the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord  will  be  made  in  Jerusalem  on 
Mount  Zion,  and  all  the  linninaries  will  be  renewed  for  a 
healing  and  for  peace  and  for  a  blessing  for  all  the  chosen 
of  Israel,  that  it  may  be  thus  from  this  day  ,on  and  to  all 
the  days  of  the  world ! 

CiiAi".  II.  And  the  angel  of  the  face  spoke  to  Moses  by 
the  command  of  the  Lord,  saying:  "Write  all  the  words 

'  The  word  "  weeks  "  is  used  throughout  the  work  in  the  sense  of  week  of 
years,  i.  e.,  forty-nine  years,  or  one  jubilee  period. 

''  The  biblical  D^JDH  "JXPO,  the  favorite  angels  of  apocalyptic  writers, 
whose  mission  is  the  mediatorship  between  God  and  man.  Later  writers 
resort  to  this  means  of  communication  between  divinity  and  humanity  all 
the  more  in  oreier  to  preserve  the  former  from  all  contact  with  the  latter, 
and  thus  preserve  the  holiness  of  God.  The  idea  is  born  from  the  same 
spirit  that  induced  the  Septuagint  translators  to  smooth  over  the  anthropo- 
morphism and  anthropopathies  of  the  Hebrew  te.xt,  and  helped  much  to  the 
development  of  Philo's  /o!{i>s  idea  and  allegorical  method  of  interpretation, 
as  also  to  the  popularity  of  the  Menire  mediatorship  in  God's  dealings  with 
men  and  the  world  so  generally  prevalent  in  the  Targumim.  Cf.  Zech.  i.  g, 
and  similar  passages,  and  also  Weber,  .System  der  altsynag.  i)alest.  I'heolo- 
gie,  passim. 


6  THE  r.OOK  OF  JITUI.EKS. 

of  creation,  how  in  six  days  the  Lord  God  finished  all  the 
works  which  he  created,  and  I'ested  on  the  seventh  day  and 
sanctified  it  lor  all  the  years  and  established  it  as  a  sig-n  for 
all  his  works."  For  on  the  first  day  he  created  the  heav- 
ens above  and  the  earth  and  the  waters  and  all  the  spirits 
that  serve  before  him,  and  the  ang-els  of  the  face  and  the 
angels  that  cry  "holy,"  and  the  angels  of  the  si)irit  of 
fire,'  and  the  angels  of  the  spirit  of  wind,  and  the  angels 
of  the  spirit  of  the  clouds  of  darkness  and  of  hail  and  of 
hoarfrost,  and  the  angels  of  the  abysses  and  of  thunder 
and  of  lightning,  and  the  angels  of  the  spirits  of  cold  and 
of  heat,  of  winter  and  of  spring  and  of  fall  and  of  sum- 
mer and  of  all  the  spirits  of  the  multitude  of  works  which 
are  in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earth  and  in  all  the  dei)ths, 
and  of  darkness  and  of  light  and  of  dawn  and  of  eve 
which  he  has  prepared  in  the  knowledge  of  his  heart. 
2.  And  at  that  time  we  saw  his  work  and  praised  him  and 
lauded  before  him  on  account  of  all  his  work,  for  seven 
great  things  did  he  make  on  the  first  day.'  3.  And  on  the 
second  day  he  made  a  firmament  between  the  waters,  and 
the  waters  divided  on  this  day,  and  half  of  it  ascended 
upward,  and  half  of  it  descended  beneath  the  firmament 
over  the  face  of  the  earth.  And  this  work  alone  was 
made  on  the  second  day.  4.  And  on  the  third  day  he  did 
as  he  said  to  the  waters  that  they  should  cross  from  the 
face  of  the  whole  earth  to  one  place,  and  that  drv  land 
should  apj)car.  5.  And  he  made  the  waters  thus  as  he 
said  to  them,  and  they  gathered  from  over  the  face  of  the 
earth  into  one  place  outside  of  this  firmament,  and  the 
dry  land  appeared.     6.   And  on  that  day  hv  created  for  it 

"  The  idea  underlying  this  and  similar  expressions  found  so  frequently  in 
the  Jewish  apocalypses  is  that  all  objects  in  nature  which  can  be  agencies 
for  good  or  for  evil  are  under  the  management  of  particular  angels  who 
direct  their  use  according  to  the  will  of  the  Lord.  Especially  is  this  tin- 
case  in  the  Noachic  fragments  of  Enoch.  Cf.  the  translator's  version  of 
that  book  (Andover,  18S2),  chap.  60  sqq.  and  notes. 

■'  I.  e.,  heaven,  earth,  water,  serving  spirits,  angels  of  the  face,  angels  of 
praise,  and  angels  of  the  elements.     Cf.  also  verse  17  of  this  chapter. 


THE  HOOK  nv  JUBILEES.  7 

[the  water]  the  abysses  of  the  seas,  accordins^  to  their 
separate  gathering  places,  and  all  the  rivers  and  tiie  gath- 
ering ])laces  of  the  waters  in  the  hills  and  in  all  the  earth, 
and  all  the  lakes,  and  all  the  dew  of  the  earth,  and  the 
seed. which  is  sown  according  to  its  kind,  and  ever}-  thing 
that  is  eaten,  and  the  trees  which  bear  fruit,  and  the 
wild  trees,  and  the  garden  of  Eden  for  pleasure;  and  all 
these  four  '  great  creations  he  made  on  the  third  day. 
7.  And  on  the  fourth  day  he  made  the  sun  and  moon 
and  stars  and  placed  them  in  the  hrmament  of  heaven 
that  they  should  shine  over  the  earth  and  to  rule  over 
day  and  night  and  to  divide  between  night  and  day 
and  between  darkness  and  light.  8.  And  God  established 
the  sun  as  a  great  sign  over  the  earth  and  for  days  and 
for  sabbaths  and  for  months  and  for  festivals  and  for 
years  and  for  jubilees  and  for  all  seasons  of  the  years. 
9.  And  he  shall  divide  between  light  and  darkness  and 
for  prosperity  that  all  things  that  sprout  and  grow  on 
earth  may  prosper.  10.  These  three  kinds  God  made  on 
the  fourth  day.  11.  And  on  the  fifth  day  he  created  the 
great  animals  in  the  abysses  of  the  seas  (for  these  were 
the  first  things  of  fiesh  created  bv  his  hands),"  and  every 
thing  that  moves  in  the  waters,  and  the  fishes  and  every 
thing  that  flies,  the  birds  and  their  whole  kind.  12.  And 
the  sun  arose  over  them  to  prosper  them,  and  over  all 
that  was  on  the  earth,  ever>-  thing  that  sprouts  out  of  the 
earth  and  all  the  trees  that  bear  fruit  and  all  flesh:  these 
three  kinds  he  made  on  the  fifth  day.  13.  And  on  the 
sixth  day  he  made  all  the  animals  of  the  earth  and  all  the 
beasts  and  every  thing  that  moves  over  the  earth.  14.  And 
after  all  this  he  made  mankind,  a  single  one;  male  and 
female  he  created  them,  and  made  him  ruler  over  all 
things  u})on  the  earth  and  in  the  seas  and  over  that  which 
flies  and  over  all  the  animals  and  beasts  and  over  every 
thing  that  moves  on  the  earth,  and  over  the  whole  earth; 

'  I.  e.,  the  terra  firma,  tlu-  tjathcrinir   places  for  the  water,  the  i)lants,  and 
Eden. 


8  THE  l";OOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

and  over  all  this  he  made  him  ruler.  15.  And  these  four 
kinds  he  made  on  the  sixth  day.  And  there  were  alto- 
gether twenty-two  kinds.'  16.  And  he  completed  all  his 
work  on  the  sixth  day,"  all  that  is  in  the  heavens  and  on  the 
earth  and  in  the  seas  and  in  the  abysses,  in  the  light  and  in 
the  darkness  and  in  every  thing ;  and  he  gave  us  [the  an- 
gels] a  great  sign,  the  day  of  sabbaths,  that  we  should  do 
work  six  days,  and  should  rest  on  the  sabbath  from  all 
work.  17.  And  all  the  angels  of  the  face  and  all  the  angels 
that  cry  "  holy,"  to  us,  these  two  great  kinds,  he  said  that 
we  should  observe  the  sabbath  with  him  in  heaven  and 
on  earth.'  18.  And  he  said  to  us:  "  Behold,  I  shall  sep- 
arate for  myself  a  people  from  among  all  the  nations,  and 
these  shall  celebrate  the  sabbath,  and  I  shall  sanctify  them 
unto  myself  as  a  nation,  and  1  will  sanctify  them  unto  my- 
self as  a  people,  and  will  bless  them,  as  I  have  sanctified 
the  day  of  sabbaths,  and  I  will  sanctify  them  unto  me  and 
thus  I  will  bless  them  ;  and  they  shall  be  to  mc  my  people, 
but  I  will  be  to  them  a  God.  19.  And  I  chose  the  seed  of 
Jacob  from  among  all  that  I  have  seen  and  have  written 
him  down  as  a  first  born  son,  and  I  have  sanctified  him 
unto  myself  forever  and  ever;  and  the  day  of  the  sab- 
baths I  will  teach  them,  that  they  observe  sabbath  on  it 
from  all  work."  20.  And  he  made  therein  a  sign  that  they 
too  should  observe  the  sabbath  with  us  on  the  seventh 
day,  to  eat  and  to  drink  and  to  bless  him  who  has  created 
all   things,   as   he   blessed    and  sanctified   unto  himself    a 

'  I.  c,  seven  kinds  on  the  first  day,  one  on  the  second,  four  on  the  tliird, 
three  on  the  fourth,  three  on  the  fifth,  and  four  on  the  sixth  day. 

■The  writer  follows  the  Septuagint  with  its  ir  rij  I'/fuiia  nj  ihnj  in  (ion.  ii.2. 
It  will  lie  remembered  that  the  Hebrew  text  here  has  'y^X'TI  DV3. 

■'  Not  only  the  pre-existence  of  great  persons,  such  as  the  Messiah,  hut  of 
sacred  objects  and  ceremonies  is  a  favorite  idea  of  apf)calyptic  writers. 
According  to  the  book  of  Jubilees,  the  Israelite  economy  was  but  a  reflex 
and  reproduction  of  an  eternal  and  more  perfect  hicrairhia  caclestis  among 
the  angels  around  the  throne  of  grace.  Cf.  especially  the  translator's  intro- 
duction to  Enoch  p.  48  sqq.  In  Assuntplio  A/osis  i.  17  we  have  the  same 
view  we  find  expressed  here  concerning  the  observance  of  ihc  sabbatii  in 
heaven,  cf.  also  verse  27  of  this  chapter. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  9 

people  which  shall  appear  from  amongst  the  nations  and 
that  they  should  observe  the  sabbath  together  with  us. 
And  he  caused  that  before  him  his  commands  should 
ascend  like  a  sweet  savor  which  should  be  acceptable 
before  him  all  the  days  of  the  twenty-two  heads  of  men 
from  Adam  to  Jacob.  And  twenty-two  kinds  of  works 
were  made  until  this  seventh  day  ;'  this  thing  is  blessed 
and  holy,  and  the  former  too  is  blessed  and  holy  :  and  this 
one  with  that  one  serves  for  a  sanctification  and  blessing. 
21.  And  to  this  one  [Jacob  and  his  seed]  was  given  that 
they  should  be  for  all  days  the  blessed  and  holy  ones  of 
the  testimony  and  the  first  law,  just  as  he  had  blessed  and 
sanctified  the  seventh  day  on  the  seventh  day.  22.  He 
created  heaven  and  earth  and  every  thing  that  he  created 
in  six  days,  and  the  Lord  established  a  holy  festival  day 
for  all  his  creation  ;  and  therefore  he  commanded  on  its  ac- 
count that  he  who  does  any  work  on  it  shall  die,  and  who- 
ever defiles  it  shall  surely  die.  23.  And  thou,  command 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  they  shall  observe  this  day,  so 
that  they  keep  it  holy  and  do  not  work  on  it  any  work,  and 
do  not  defile  it ;  for  it  is  holier  than  all  the  days.  24.  All 
who  profane  this  day  shall  surely  die,  and  all  who  do  any 
work  on  it  shall  surely  die  forever ;  so  that  the  children 
of  Israel  observe  this  day  in  their  generations  and  be 
not  rooted  out  of  the  land  ;  for  it  is  a  holy  day  and  a 
blessed  day.  25.  And  every  man  who  observes  it  and  keeps 
the  sabbath  on  it  away  from  all  his  work,  will  be  blessed 
and  holy  for  all  his  days  like  unto  me.  26.  And  announce 
and  say  to  the  children  of  Israel  the  law  of  this  day,  and 
that  they  shall  observe  the  sabbath  on  it,  and  do  not  des- 
ert it  in  the  error  of  their  hearts,  and  that  they  be  not 
engaged  in  doing  any  thing  on  it  which  should  not  be 
done,  and  that  they  do  not  prepare  on  it  any  thing  that 

'  In  connection  with  this  observe,  that  as  there  had  been  twenty-two  dif- 
ferent works  of  creation  before  the  sanctification  of  the  sabbath  by  the 
angels  (cf.  v.  15  sqq.)  thus  too  there  should  be  twenty-two  generations  of 
people  before  in  Israel  a  nation  should  arise  that  would  establish  the  sancti- 
fication of  the  sabbath  on  earth. 


lO  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

is  eaten  or  drunk,  nor  draw  water,  nor  on  it  carry  in  or 
bring  out  of  their  gates  any  thing  that  is  carried,  which 
they  have  not  prepared  for  themselves  as  a  work  on  the 
six  days  in  their  houses.  27.  And  they  shall  not  carry 
out  or  bring  in  on  that  day  from  one  house  to  another, 
for  this  is  a  holy  and  blessed  day  over  all  the  days  of  ju- 
bilees ;  on  it  we  observed  the  sabbath  in  heaven,  before  it 
was  known  to  any  mortal  to  observe  the  sabbath  on  it 
on  the  earth.  28.  And  the  Creator  of  all  blessed  it ;  but 
he  did  not  sanctif)"  all  nations  and  peoples  to  observe  the 
sabbath  on  it,  only  Israel  alone :  to  them  alone  he  granted 
to  eat  and  to  drink  and  to  observe  sabbath  on  it  on  the 
earth.  29.  And  the  Creator  of  all  blessed  it,  who  had 
created  this  day  for  a  blessing  and  a  sanctification  and  for 
glory  above  all  the  days.  30.  This  law  and  testimony  was 
given  to  the  children  of  Israel  as  a  law  forever  to  their 
generations. 

Chap.  III.  i.  And  in  the  sixth  day  of  the  second  sab- 
bath we  brought,  by  the  command  of  the  Lord,  to  Adam 
all  the  animals  and  all  the  beasts  and  all  the  birds  and 
evehy  thing  that  moves  on  the  earth  and  every  thing  that 
moves  in  the  water,  each  according  to  their  kind,  and  each 
according  to  their  similarity:  on  the  first  day  the  animals; 
the  beasts  on  the  second  day ;  the  birds  on  the  third  day ; 
every  thing  that  moves  on  the  earth  the  fourth  day ;  what- 
ever moves  in  the  water  on  the  fifth  day.  2.  And  Adam 
gave  unto  each  its  name ;  and  as  he  called  them,  this  was 
their  name.  And  on  these  five  days  Adam  saw  this:  a 
male  and  a  female  in  each  kind  that  is  on  the  earth,  but 
that  he  was  alone  and  could  not  find  a  companion  who 
could  be  an  aid  to  such  as  he.  3.  And  God  said  to  me:' 
"It  is  not  good  that  man  should  be  alone:  let  us  make  for 
him  a  helpmeet  like  unto  him."  4.  And  the  Lord  our  God 
caused  a  stupor  to  fall  upon  him  and  he  slept,  and  he  took 
for  a  wife  one  rib  from  amongst  his  ribs,  and  this  rib  was 
made  into  a  woman   from  amongst  his  ribs,  and  he  built 

'  I.  e.,  to  the  angel  who  is  narrating  these  matters  to  Moses. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  II 

flesh  there  in  its  place,  and  built  a  woman.  5.  And  he 
awakened  Adam  out  of  his  sleep,  and  awakening-  he  arose 
on  the  sixth  day  and  came  to  her  and  knew  her  and  said 
unto  her:  'This  is  now  bone  from  my  bone  and  flesh  from 
my  flesh :  this  one  shall  be  called  my  wife,  for  she  came 
and  originated  from  man.  6.  For  this  reason  man  and 
wife  shall  be  one,  and  for  this  reason  a  man  shall  leave  his 
father  and  his  mother  and  will  connect  himself  with  his 
wife,  and  they  shall  be  one  fiesh.  7.  And  in  the  first  sev- 
enth was  Adam  created,  and  his  wife  in  his  side,  and  in 
the  second  seventh  he  showed  her  to  him, '  and  on  that 
account  the  command  was  given  to  observe  in  their  defile- 
ment seven  days  for  a  male  and  twice  seven  days  for  a 
female. ' 

8.  And  when  Adam  had  completed  forty  days  in  the 
land  where  he  had  been  created,  we  brought  him  into  the 
garden  of  Eden,  that  he  should  work  it  and  watch  it ;  but 
his  wife  they  brought  in  on  the  eightieth  day,  and  after 
this  she  entered  the  garden;  and  on  this  account  the  com- 
mandment is  written  on  the  tablets  of  heaven''  in  reference 
to  her  that  gives  birth,  that  "if  she  brings  forth  a  male, 
she  shall  remain  in  her  uncleanness  seven  days  according 
to  the  first  week  of  days,  and  thirty  days  shall  she  abide 
in  the  blood  of  purifying,  and  she  shall  touch  nothing 
holy  and  shall  not  enter  into  the  sanctuar)'  imtil  these 
days  are  completed  for  her  who  has  a  male  child.  9.  But 
she  who  has  a  female  child  shall  remain  in  her  uncleanness 
two  weeks,  according  to  the  first  two  weeks,  and  sixty-six 
days  in  the  blood  of  purifying,  and  all  the  days  for  her 
shall  be  eighty."  '     10.  And  she  having  completed  these 

'  I.  e.,  she  was  created  at  the  same  time  with  Athim,  but  in  and  within 
him,  and  it  was  only  in  the  second  week  that  she  became  a  separate  creature. 

*  Cf.  Lev.  xii. 

^  Throughout  this  and  similar  works  the  laws  of  dod  and  his  ordinances 
are  looked  upon  as  taken  from  the  tablets  of  heaven  ;  especially  is  this  idea 
and    expression    found   in  the   Testamentum  XIL  Patriarcharum. 

''  Cf.  Lev.  XV. 


12  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

eighty  days  we  brought  her  into  the  garden  of  Eden,  for 
it  is  holy  above  the  whole  earth,  and  ever}-  tree  that  is 
planted  in  it  is  holy.  And  on  this  account  was  ordained 
concerning  her  that  gives  birth  to  a  male  or  female  this 
law  for  these  days,  that  they  shall  touch  nothing  holy  nor 
enter  a  sanctuary  until  these  days  for  a  male  or  a  female 
are  completed.'  ii.  This  law  and  testimony  was  given 
and  written  for  the  children  of  Israel  that  they  should 
observe  it  all  the  days.  12.  And  in  the  first  week  of  the 
first  jubilee  Adam  and  his  wife  were  in  the  garden  of 
Eden  seven  years  working  and  watching  it ;  and  we  gave 
them  work  and  taught  them  to  work  every  thing  that 
offered  itself  for  work.  13.  And  he  labored  and  was  naked 
and  did  not  know  it  and  was  not  ashamed,  and  he  watched 
the  garden  against  the  birds  and  the  animals  and  the 
beasts,''  and  gathered  its  fruits  and  ate  and  laid  aside  the 
rest  for  himself  and  his  wife,  and  laid  aside  that  which 
he  had  guarded  for  himself.  14.  And  having  ended  the 
completion  of  seven  years  which  he  completed  there,  in 
the  seventh  year  exactly,  and  in  the  second  month,  on  the 
seventeenth  of  the  month,  the  serpent  came  and  ap- 
proached the  woman,  and  the  serpent  said  to  the  woman : 
"  Has  God  commanded  that  you  shall  not  eat  of  any  of 
the  fruit  of  the  tree  in  the  garden?"  15.  And  she  said  to 
it.  "  He  has  told  us,  '  Eat  from  all  the  fruit  of  the  trees  in 
the  garden,  but  from  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  garden  ye  shall  not  eat,  nor  shall  ye  touch  it, 
that  ye  die  not!'"  16.  And  the  serpent  said  to  the 
woman:  ''Ye  will  surely  not  die,  but  because  God  knows 
that  on  which  day  ye  eat  of  it  your  eyes  shall  be  opened 
and  ye  shall  be  like  gods  and  will  know  good  and  evil." 
17.  And  the  woman  saw  the  tree  that  it  was  pleasant  and 
it  pleased  the  eye,  and  that  its  fruit  was  good  to  eat;  she 

'  To  the  present  day  yet  this  law  is  preserved  in  the  Church  of  Abyssinia. 
Cf.  Thiersch's  elaborate  articles  on  Abyssinia  in  the  July  and  August  num- 
bers of  the  Allgm.  Conservat.  Monatschrift  for  1884. 

'^  On  this  point  our  book  differs  from  other  apocalypses  where  the  animals 
before  the  fall  are  represented  as  harmless. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  1 3 

took  from  it  and  ate.  i8.  And  she  first  covered  her  shame 
with  fig  leaves,  and  gave  to  her  husband,  and  he  ate,  and 
his  eyes  were  opened  and  he  saw  that  he  was  naked.  19. 
And  he  took  fig  leaves  and  sewed  them  together  and 
made  for  himself  an  apron  and  covered  his  shame.  20. 
And  God  cursed  the  serpent  and  was  enraged  at  it  for- 
ever ;  and  he  was  enraged  at  the  woman  also,  because  she 
had  obeyed  the  voice  of  the  serpent,  and  he  said  to  her: 
"  I  shall  surely  increase  thy  pains  and  thy  trouble ;  in  thy 
pains  bear  children,  and  to  thy  husband  be  thy  refuge, 
and  he  shall  be  thy  lord."  21.  And  to  Adam  he  said: 
"  Because  thou  didst  obey  the  voice  of  thy  wife  and  didst 
eat  from  this  tree  of  which  I  had  commanded  thee  that 
thou  shouldst  not  eat,  let  the  earth  be  cursed  on  account 
of  thy  deed ;  thorns  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  for 
thee;  and  eat  thou  thy  bread  in  the  sweat  of  thy  brow 
until  thou  returnest  to  the  earth  from  which  thou  hast 
been  taken;  for  earth  thou  art,  and  to  earth  thou  shalt 
return."  22.  And  he  made  for  them  garments  of  skin 
and  clothed  them,  and  sent  them  from  the  garden.  23. 
And  on  that  day  on  which  Adam  came  out  of  the  garden 
of  Eden  he  offered,  as  a  sweet  savour,  a  burnt  offering : 
frankincense  and  galbanum  and  myrrh  spices,  in  the  morn- 
ing with  the  rising  of  the  sun,  on  the  day  when  he  cov- 
ered his  shame.  24.  And  on  that  day  was  closed  the 
mouth  of  all  the  animals  and  of  the  beasts  and  of  the 
birds  and  of  whatever  walks  and  of  whatever  moves,  so 
that  they  could  not  speak ;  for  they  all  had  spoken  with 
each  other  one  lip  and  one  tongue.'  25.  And  he  sent  out 
of  the  garden  of  Eden  all  flesh  that  was  in  the  garden  of 
Eden,  and  all  flesh  was  scattered  according  to  its  kinds 
and  according  to  its  natures  to  the  places  which  had  been 
created  for  them.  26.  And  to  Adam  alone  did  he  give 
to  cover  his  shame,  of  all  the  animals  and  beasts.  27.  On 
this  account  it  is  commanded  in  the  tablets  of  heaven  con- 
cerning all  who  know  the  judgment  of  the  law,  that  they 
'  The  idea  that  animals  spoke  before  the  fall  is  not  confined  to  this  book. 


14  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

shall  cover  their  shame  and  shall  not  uncover  themselves 
as  the  ge.itiles  uncover  themselves.  28.  And  at  the  new 
moon  of  the  fourth  month  ^\dam  and  his  wife  came  out  of 
the  garden  of  Eden  and  dwelt  in  tnc  land  of  Elda,  in  the 
land  of  their  creation.  29.  And  Adam  called  the  name  of 
his  wife  Eve.  30.  And  they  did  not  have  a  son  until  the 
first  jubilee  year;  and  after  this  he  knew  her.  31.  But  he 
cultivated  the  land,  as  he  had  been  taught  in  the  garden 
of  Eden. 

Chap.  IV.  i.  And  in  the  third  week  of  the  second 
jubilee  she  gave  birth  to  Cain,  and  in  the  fourth  she  gave 
birth  to  Abel,  and  in  the  fifth  she  gave  birth  to  her  daugh- 
ter Awan.'  2.  And  in  the  first  [week]  of  the  third  jubilee 
Cain  slew  Abel,  because  [God]  accepted  an  offering  from 
his  hands,  but  did  not  receive  a  fruit  offering  from  the 
hands  of  Cain.  3.  And  he  slew  him  on  the  field;  and 
his  blood  cried  aloud  from  earth  to  heaven  lamenting  that 
he  had  slain  him,  and  God  punished  Cain,  because  he  had 
slain  Abel.  4.  And  he  made  him  a  refugee  over  the  earth, 
on  account  of  the  blood  of  his  brother,  and  he  cursed  him 
upon  the  earth.  5.  And  on  this  account  it  is  written  in 
the  tablets  of  heaven:  "Cursed  be  he  who  slays  his  neigh- 
bor in  wickedness,  and  all  who  hear  shall  say,  'So  be  it! ' 
and  the  man  who  sees  it  and  does  not  announce  it,  cursed 
be  he  like  the  other."  6.  And  on  this  account  we  hear- 
ing come  to  anncnmce  before  the  Lord  our  God  all  the 
sins  which  take  place  in  heaven  and  earth,  and  in  light 
and  in  darkness,  and  everywhere.  7.  And  Adam  and  his 
wife  mourned  for  Abel  four  weeks  of  years;  and  in  tlie 
fourth  year  of  the  fifth  week  he  became  joyful  and  knew 
his  wife  again,  and  she  brought  forth  for  him  a  son,  and 

'  Who  invented  this  and  the  other  non-biblical  names  that  are  found  in 
this  and  the  following  chapters  is  not  known.  As  in  the  whole  known  litera- 
ture of  that  day  and  kind  there  is  no  other  book  that  contains  so  many  of 
them  as  does  the  one  before  us,  it  may  not  be  incorrect  to  think  that  the 
author  himself  invented  many.  But  he  is  certainly  not  the  originator  of  the 
idea  of  inventing  such  names.  Indications  abound  that  the  popular  Jewish 
faith  of  the  day  had  many  such  names. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  1$ 

they  called  his  name  Seth;  for  he  said :  "The  Lord  has 
raised  up  for  us  a  second  seed  on  the  earth  in  the  place  of 
Abel ;  for  Cain  slew  him."  8.  In  the  sixth  week  he  begat 
his  daughter  Azura.  9.  And  Cain  took  A  wan  his  sister 
to  himself  as  wife,  and  she  brought  forth  for  him  Enoch 
at  the  end  of  the  fourth  jubilee.  And  in  the  first  year  of 
the  first  week  of  the  fifth  jubilee  houses  were  built  on  the 
earth,  and  Cain  built  a  city,  and  called  it  by  the  name  of 
his  son  Enoch.  10.  And  Adam  knew  Eve,  his  wife,  and 
she  brought  forth  yet  nine  sons.  11.  And  in  the  fifth 
week  of  this  jubilee  Seth  took  Azura  his  sister  to  himself 
as  wife,  and  in  the  fourth  [year]  she  brought  forth  for 
him  Enos.  12.  And  he  began  first  to  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord  on  the  earth.  13.  And  in  the  seventh  jubilee, 
in  the  fifth  week,  Enos  took  Noem  his  sister  to  himself  as 
wife,  and  she  brought  forth  for  him  a  son  in  the  third  year 
of  the  fifth  week,  and  called  his  name  Cainan.  14.  And  at 
the  end  of  the  eighth  jubilee  Cainan  took  to  himself  as 
wife  Mualet  his  sister,  and  she  bore  for  him  a  son  in  the 
ninth  jubilee,  in  the  first  week,  in  the  third  year  of  this 
week,  and  he  called  his  name  Malalel.  15.  And  in  the 
second  week  of  the  tenth  jubilee  Malalel  took  unto  him- 
self as  wife  Sina,  the  daughter  of  Barakhel,  the  daughter 
of  the  sister  of  his  father,  and  she  bore  him  a  son  in  the 
third  week,  in  the  sixth  year,  and  he  called  his  name 
Tared ;  for  in  his  days  the  angels  of  the  Lord  descended 
upon  the  earth,  thote  that  are  called  Watchmen,'  that  they 
should  teach  the  children  of  men  to  do  judgment  and 
right  over  the  earth.  16.  And  in  the  eleventh  jubilee 
Jared  took  to  himself  a  wife,  and  her  name  was  Baraka,  a 
daughter  of  Rasujel,  a  daughter  of  the  sister  of  his  father, 

'  The  name  by  which  the  angels  of  Gen.  vi.  i  sqq.  are  known  in  apoc- 
alyptic literature.  Their  evil  deeds  and  the  consequences  thereof  form  the 
burden  of  the  oldest  portion  of  the  book  of  Enoch.  All  that  is  here  related 
of  them  and  of  Enoch  is  based  upon  the  account  there  given,  and  the  whole 
matter  is  treated  in  cxtcnso  in  the  writer's  translation  of  that  book.  Cf. 
especially  the  Introduction,  p.  32  sqq.,  apd,  chap,  vi.  and  sqq.  of  the  book 
itself,  together  with  the  notes. 


l6  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

in  the  fourth  week  of  this  jubilee;  and  she  bore  for  him  a 
son  in  the  fifth  week,  in  the  fourth  year,  of  this  jubilee, 
and  he  called  his  name  Enoch.  17.  He  was  the  first  one 
from  among  the  children  of  men  that  are  born  on  the 
earth  to  learn  writing  and  knowledge  and  wisdom.  18. 
And  he  wrote  the  signs  of  heaven  '  according  to  the 
order  of  their  months  in  a  book,  that  the  sons  of  men 
might  know  the  time  of  the  year  according  to  their  sepa- 
rate months.  19.  He  was  the  first  to  write  a  testimony, 
and  he  testified  to  the  children  of  men  concerning  the 
generations  of  the  earth,  and  explained  the  weeks  of  the 
jubilees,  and  made  known  to  them  the  days  of  the  years, 
and  arranged  the  months  and  explained  the  sabbaths  of 
the  years  as  we  made  them  known  to  him.  20.  And  what 
was  and  what  will  be  he  saw  in  a  vision  of  the  night  in  a 
dream,  and  as  it  will  happen  to  the  children  of  men  in 
their  generations  until  the  day  of  judgment;  he  saw  and 
learned  every  thing  and  wrote  it  as  a  testimony  and  laid 
the  testimony  on  the  earth  over  all  the  children  of  men 
and  for  their  generations.  21.  And  in  the  twelfth  jubilee, 
in  the  seventh  week  thereof,  he  took  to  himself  a  wife, 
and  her  name  was  Edna,  the  daughter  of  Daniel,  the 
daughter  of  the  sister  of  his  father;  and  in  the  sixth  year 
in  this  week  she  bore  him  a  son,  and  he  called  his  name 
Methusaleh.  22.  And  then  he  was  with  the  angels  of  God 
six  years  of  this  jubilee,  and  they  showed  h'm  all  things 
on  earth  and  in  heaven,  the  rule  of  the  sun,  and  he  wrote 
down  all  things.  23.  And  he  testified  to  the  Watchmen, 
those  that  sinned  with  the  daughters  of  men ;  for  they  had 
commenced  to  mix  with  the  daughters  of  the  earth,  so 
that  they  were  defiled;  and  Enoch  testified  against  them 
all.  24.  And  he  was  removed  from  the  midst  of  the  chil- 
dren of  men,  and  we  conducted  him  into  the  garden  of 
Eden  for  greatness  and  ior  honor,  and  behold  here  he  was 

'  The  standard  reputation  of  Enoch  among  legend-loving  Jews,  Christians, 
and  Mohammedans.  Cf.  Enoch  (Introd.)  pp.  14-17.  The  writing  here 
referred  to  is  the  book  of  Enoch. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUP.ILEES.  IJ 

engaged  in  writing  down  the  judgment  and  the  eternal 
condemnation  and  all  the  wickedness  of  the  sons  of  the 
children  of  men.  25.  And  on  his  account  [God]  brought 
the  deluge  over  the  whole  land  of  Eden;'  for  there  he 
was  set  as  a  sign  and  that  he  should  testify  over  all  the 
sons  of  the  children  of  men,  that  he  should  declare  all  the 
deeds  of  the  generations  until  the  day  of  judgment.  26. 
And  he  offered  a  burnt  offering  on  the  west  side  of  the 
sanctuary  [?J  which  was  pleasing  before  the  Lord  on  the 
hill  of  the  south  ;  for  there  are  four  places  to  the  Lord  on 
earth :  the  garden  of  Eden  and  the  hill  of  the  east  in  it,^ 
and  this  hill  on  which  thou  art  to-da}',  the  hill  of  Sinai, 
and  the  hill  of  Zion,  which  will  be  sanctified  in  the  new 
creation  for  a  sanctilication  of  the  earth:  through  it  the 
earth  will  be  sanctified  from  all  its  sin  and  its  uncleanness 
to  the  generation  of  eternity.'  27.  And  in  the  fourteenth 
jubilee  Methusaleh  took  unto  himself  as  his  wife  Edna, 
the  daughter  of  Ezrael,  the  daughter  of  the  sister  of  his 
father,  in  the  third  week  in  first  year  of  this  week,  and  he 
begat  a  son  and  called  his  name  Lamech.  And  in  the 
fifteenth  jubilee,  in  the  third  week,  Lamech  took  to  himself 
a  wife,  and  her  name  was  Bilanos,  the  daughter  of  Bara- 
kel,  the  daughter  of  the  sister  of  his  father ;  and  in  this 
week  she  bore  him  a  son,  and  he  called  his  name  Noah, 
saying:  "This  one  will  comfort  me  on  account  of  all  my 
work  and  on  account  of  the  earth   which   the   Lord   has 

'  This  is  a  somewhat  strange  statement,  and  the  text  may  be  corrupt. 
The  term  "land  of  Eden"  generally  is  the  same  as  simply  Eden.  The 
connection  might  lead  to  the  thought  that  all  but  Eden  was  then  destroyed, 
as  it  was  no  longer  inhabited  since  Adam's  expulsion.  A  negative  particle 
of  some  sort  may  have  dropped  out. 

*  Naturally  the  locality  of  the  first  two  of  these  sacred  places  cannot  be 
ascertained  ;  it  may  be  that  the  writer  himself  had  no  accurate  idea  on  this 
matter. 

•'  Referring  to  the  hope  of  all  writers  of  Jewish  apocalypses  that  God 
would  establish  Israel  as  his  ruling  people  on  Zion,  and  from  that  centre 
spread  his  blessings  over  all  nations.  This  is  one  of  the  most  fixed  hopes 
of  this  and  similar  works. 


iS  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

cursed."  28.  And  at  the  end  of  the  nineteenth  jubilee,  in 
the  seventh  week,  in  the  sixth  year  thereof,  Adam  died, 
and  all  of  his  sons  buried  him  in  the  land  of  the  creation  of 
Adam,  and  he  was  the  first  to  be  buried  in  the  earth,  and 
he  lacked  seventy  3xars  of  one  thousand  j^ears ;  for  one 
thousand  years  are  like  one  day  in  the  testimony  of 
heaven,  '  and  therefore  it  was  written  concerning  the 
tree  of  knowledge:  "On  the  day  on  which  ye  eat  thereof 
ye  shall  die."  29.  And  for  this  reason  he  did  not  com- 
plete the  years  of  this  da}- ;  for  in  it  he  died.  30.  At  the 
end  of  this  jubilee  Cain  was  killed,  after  him,  in  the  same 
year;  and  his  house  fell  upon  him,  and  he  died  in  the 
midst  of  the  house,  and  he  was  killed  with  his  stones,  for 
with  a  stone  he  had  killed  Abel,  and  with  a  stone  he  was 
killed  by  a  judgment  of  righteousness.  31.  On  this 
account  it  is  ordained  in  the  tablets  of  heaven :  "  With  the 
instrument  with  which  a  man  kills  his  neighbor,  he  shall 
be  killed ;  as  he  wounded  him,  shall  thus  they  do  to  him."  ^ 
32.  And  in  the  fifty-fifth  jubilee  Noah  took  to  himself  a 
wife,  and  her  name  was  Emzarah,  the  daughter  of  Rakel 
the  daughter  of  his  sister  [sic]  in  the  first  year,  in  the 
fifth  week ;  and  in  the  third  year  thereof  she  bore  him 
Shem,  in  the  fifth  year  thereof  she  bore  him  Mam,  and  in 
the  first  year  in  the  sixth  week  she  bore  him  Japhct. 

Chap,  V.  i.  And  it  happened,  when  the  sons  of  the  chil- 
dren of  men  commenced  to  increase  over  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth  and  daughters  were  born  to  them, that  the  angels 
of  the  Lord  saw  them  in  one  year  of  this  jubilee,  that  they 
were  beautiful  to  look  upon;  and  they  took  unto  them- 
selves wives  from  all  of  them  whomever  they  chose,  and 
they  bore  them  sons,  and  these  were  giants. "  2.  And 
injustice  increased  over  the  earth  and  all  flesh  corrupted 
its  way,  from  men  to  animals  and  to  beasts  and  to  birds 
and    to   all    that    walks   upon    the   earth;    all    corruj)ted 

'  A  somewhat  peculiar  commentary  on  Ps.  xc.  4. 
^  The  /ex  talionis,  based  partly  on  Lev.  xxiv.  19,  20. 
■'■  Cf.  note  on  iv.  15. 


THE  ROOK  OF  JUIBILEES.  I9 

their  ways  and  their  orders  '  and  began  to  devour  each 
other,  and  unrighteousness  increased  over  the  earth,  and 
all  the  thoughts  of  the  knowledge  of  all  the  sons  of  men 
were  thus  wicked  all  the  days.  3.  And  the  Lord  looked 
upon  the  earth,  and  behold  it  was  corrupt,  and  all  flesh 
corrupted  its  order  and  they  all  did  evil  before  his  eyes, 
all  that  were  on  the  earth.  4.  And  he  said :  "  I  shall 
destroy  mankind  and  all  flesh  that  has  been  created  above 
the  face  of  the  earth."  And  Noah  alone  found  grace 
before  the  eyes  of  the  Lord.  5.  And  concerning  the 
angels  whom  he  had  sent  upon  the  earth,  he  was  greatly 
enraged,  that  he  would  root  them  out  of  all  their  power; 
and  he  said  to  us  that  we  should  bind  them  in  the  depths 
of  the  earth ;  and  behold  they  are  bound  in  the  midst  of 
them  [depths]  and  separate.  6.  And  against  their  children 
came  a  word  from  before  the  face  of  the  Lord,  that  they 
should  be  slain  with  a  sword  and  be  removed  from  under 
heaven.  7.  And  he  said :  "  My  spirit  shall  not  abide  over 
men  forever,  for  they  are  flesh ;  and  let  their  days  be  one 
hundred  and  twent}'  3'ears."  8.  And  he  sent  into  their 
midst  his  sword  that  each  should  slay  his  neighbor;  and 
they  began  to  slay  one  the  other  until  they  all  fell  upon 
the  sword  and  were  destroyed  from  the  earth.  9.  And 
their  fathers  witnessed  it;  and  after  this  these  were  bound 
in  the  depths  of  the  earth,  until  the  day  of  the  great 
judgment  for  the  coming  of  punishment  unto  eternity 
over  all  those  w'ho  have  corrupted  their  w^ays  and  their 
works  before  the  Lord.  10.  And  he  destroyed  all  their 
places,  and  there  was  not  left  a  single  one  of  them  who 
was  not  judged  according  to  all  their  wickedness.  1 1.  And 
he  made  for  all  of  his  works  a  new  and  righteous  nature, 
so  that  they  did  not  sin  in  their  entire  nature  unto  eternity 
and  were  righteous  each  in  his  generation  all  the  days.  1 2. 
And  the  judgment  of  all  is  ordained  and  written  on  the  tab- 
lets of  the  heaven  and  without  injustice  ;  and  all  who  depart 
from  the  path  which  is  ordained  for  them  to  walk  in,  and 
'  I.  c,  the  spheres  to  which  the  Creator  had  assigned  them. 


20  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

if  they  do  not  walk  in  it,  then  is  written  down  a  judgment 
for  every  creature  and  every  generation ;  and  nothing  that 
is  in  heaven,  or  on  earth,  or  in  the  light,  or  in  the  darkness, 
or  in  Sheol,  or  in  the  depth,  or  in  the  dark  place  [can  escape] ; 
all  their  judgments  are  ordained  and  written  and  engraved 
concerning  all,  13.  He  will  judge  the  small  and  the  great, 
the  great  according  to  his  greatness  and  the  small  accord- 
ing to  his  smallness,  and  each  one  according  to  his  path. 
14.  And  he  is  not  one  who  has  regard  for  persons,  nor  one 
who  receives  bribes  when  he  says  that  he  will  hold  judg- 
ment over  each  one :  if  one  gives  him  all  things  on  earth, 
he  will  have  no  regard  for  his  person  and  will  not  receive 
any  thing  from  his  hands,  for  he  is  the  judge.  15.  And  of 
the  children  of  Israel  it  has  been  written  and  ordained,  if 
they  shall  turn  to  him  in  righteousness,  he  will  remove  all 
their  guilt  and  pardon  all  their  sins.  16.  It  is  ordained 
and  written  that  he  will  show  mercy  to  all  who  turn  from 
all  their  errors,  once  each  year.  17.  And  concerning  all 
those  who  corrupted  their  ways  and  works  before  the 
flood,  he  had  no  regard  for  their  persons,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Noah  alone ;  for  he  had  regard  for  his  person  on 
account  of  the  sons  whom  he  saved  from  the  water  of 
the  flood  for  his  sake; '  for  his  heart  was  righteous  in  all 
his  ways,  as  had  been  commanded  concerning  it,  and  he 
had  not  transgressed  any  thmg  that  had  been  ordained 
for  him.  18.  And  the  Lord  said:  "  Every  thing  that  is  on 
the  dry  land  and  every  thing  that  is  created,  from  men  to 
animals  and  to  beasts  and  to  birds  and  to  whatever  moves 
upon  the  earth,  shall  be  destroyed."  19.  And  he  com- 
manded Noah  to  build  an  ark  for  himself  that  he  might 
save  him  from  the  water  of  the  flood.  20.  And  Noah 
made  an  ark  in  every  thing  as  he  had  commanded  him  in 
the  [twenty-seventh]  jubilee,  in  the  fifth  week,  in  the  fifth 
year.  21.  And  he  entered  on  the  sixth  [year]  thereof,  in 
the  second  month,  in  the  new  moon  of  the  second  month: 

'  I.  e.,    Noah's   sons   were   not  themselves   worthy   of    being  saved,    but 
escaped  death  for  their  father's  sake. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  21 

until  the  sixteenth  thereof  he  entered  and  all  that  we 
brought  to  him  into  the  ark,  and  the  Lord  locked  it  from 
without  on  the  seventeenth,  at  eve.  22.  And  the  Lord 
opened  seven  flood-gates  of  heaven  and  the  mouths  of  the 
fountains  of  the  great  deep,  seven  mouths  in  number.  23. 
And  the  flood-gates  began  to  pour  down  water  from 
heaven  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  and  the  fountains  of 
the  deep  also  sent  up  waters,  until  the  whole  world  was 
full  of  water.  24.  And  the  water  increased  upon  the 
earth :  fifteen  ells  the  waters  were  raised  over  all  the  high 
mountains,  and  the  ark  was  lifted  above  the  earth  and 
moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters.  25.  And  the  water 
remained  standing  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  five  months, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  days.  26.  And  the  ark  proceeded 
and  rested  upon  the  top  of  Lilbar,  one  of  the  mountains 
of  Ararat.  17.  And  in  the  fourth  month  the  fountains  of 
the  great  deep  were  closed,  and  the  flood-gates  of  heaven 
were  restrained,  and  in  the  new  moon  of  the  seventh 
month  all  the  mouths  of  the  deep  of  the  earth  were 
opened,  and  the  water  began  to  descend  into  the  deep 
below.  28.  And  in  the  new  moon  of  the  tenth  month  the  tops 
of  the  mountains  became  visible,  and  in  the  new  moon  of  the 
first  month  the  earth  became  visible.  29.  And  the  waters 
disappeared  from  above  the  earth  in  the  fifth  week,  in  the 
seventh  year  thereof,  and  on  the  seventeenth  day  in  the 
second  month  the  earth  became  dry.  30.  And  on  the 
twenty-seventh  thereof  he  opened  the  ark  and  sent  out  of 
it  the  animals  and  the  beasts  and  the  birds  and  whatever 
moves. 

Chap.  VL  i.  And  at  the  new  moon  of  the  third  month 
he  came  out  of  the  ark  and  built  an  altar  on  that  hill.  2. 
And  he  appeared  on  the  earth,  and  he  took  a  young  goat 
and  atoned  by  its  blood  for  all  the  guilt  of  the  earth, 
because  every  thing  that  had  been  on  it  was  destroyed 
except  those  that  were  in  the  ark  with  Noah ;  and  he 
placed  the  fat  on  the  altar,  and  he  took  an  ox  and  a  goat 
and  a  sheep  and  young  goats  and  salt  and  a  turtle  dove 


22  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

and  the  young  of  a  dove  and  brought  a  burnt  sacrifice 
upon  the  altar  and  scattered  over  th?m  fruit  offerings 
baked  in  oil  and  sprinkled  the  blood  and  wine,  and  placed 
upon  it  frankincense,  and  a  sweet  savour  arose  which  was 
acceptable  before  the  Lord.  3.  And  the  Lord  smelt  the 
sweet  savour,  and  he  made  with  him  a  covenant  that  there 
should  no  more  be  a  flood  upon  the  earth  which  would 
destroy  the  earth:  all  the  days  of  the  earth,  seed  and  har- 
vest shall  not  cease,  frost  and  heat  and  summer  and  win- 
ter and  day  and  night  shall  not  change  their  order  and 
shall  not  cease  forever.  4.  "And  ye,  grow  and  increase 
on  the  earth  and  increase  over  it,  and  be  for  a  blessing  in 
its  midst:  your  fear  and  your  terror  I  will  put  upon  every 
thing  that  is  on  the  earth  and  in  the  sea.  5.  And,  behold, 
I  have  given  you  all  the  animals  and  all  the  beasts  and 
every  thing  that  flies  and  every  thing  that  moves  on  the 
earth  and  the  fish  in  the  waters  and  all  things  for  food ; 
like  the  herbs  of  grass,  I  have  given  them  all  to  you  to 
eat.  6.  Only  flesh  in  which  is  its  life  with  blood  ye  shall 
not  eat:  for  the  blood  is  the  soul  of  all  flesh,  so  that  your 
blood  in  your  souls  be  not  demanded  of  you.  7.  From 
the  hands  of  each  one  I  will  demand  the  blood  of  a  man ; 
every  one  that  sheddeth  the  blood  of  a  man,  by  the  hand 
of  a  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed ;  for  in  the  image  of  God 
did  he  create  Adam.  8.  But  ye.  grow  and  increase  upon 
the  earth."  9.  And  Noah  and  his  sons  swore  that  they 
would  not  eat  any  blood  that  is  in  any  flesh,  and  they 
made  a  covenant  before  the  Lord  God  for  ever,  in  all  the 
generations  of  the  world,  in  this  month.  10.  On  this 
account  he  spoke  to  thee  that  thou  shouldst  make  a  cove- 
nant with  the  childi-en  of  Israel  in  this  month  upon  the 
mountain,  with  an  oath,  and  shouldst  sprinkle  l)l()()(l  over 
them  on  account  of  all  the  words  of  the  covenant  which 
the  Lord  has  made  with  them  for  all  days.'  11.  And  this 
testimony  is  written  concerning  you,  that. you  observe  it 
in  all  days,  that  ye  do  not  in  all  days  eat  any  blood  of  ani- 

'  The  covenant  of  Sinai  is  regarded  as  a  renewal  of  tiie  Noachic  covenant. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  23 

mals  and  birds  and  beasts  in  all  the  days  of  the  earth ;  and 
the  man  who  eats  the  blood  of  an  animal  or  of  beasts  or 
of  birds  in  all  the  days  of  the  earth,  he  and  his  seed  shall  be 
rooted  out  of  the  land.  12.  And  thou  command  the  children 
of  Israel  that  they  shall  not  eat  any  blood,  so  that  their  names 
and  their  seed  may  be  before  the  Lord  our  God  all  the  days. 
13.  And  for  this  law  there  is  no  limit  of  days,  for  it  is  for 
eternity ;  and  they  shall  observe  it  to  generation  and  gen- 
eration, so  that  they  may  continue  supplicating  in  their 
behalf  with  .blood  before  the  Lord  on  the  altar  on  each 
day  and  day ;  mornings  and  evenings  they  shall  supplicate 
in  their  behalf  perpetuall}^  before  the  Lord,  that  they  may 
observe  this  and  not  be  rooted  out.  14.  And  he  gave  to 
Noah  and  his  sons  a  sign  that  there  should  not  again  be  a 
deluge  over  the  earth ;  he  placed  his  bow  in  the  clouds  as  the 
sign  of  the  eternal  covenant  that  no  water  of  the  deluge 
should  again  come  over  the  earth  to  destroy  it  all  the 
days  of  the  earth.  15.  On  this  account  it  is  ordained  and 
written  on  the  tablets  of  heaven  that  the  celebration  of 
the  festival  of  weeks  should  be  in  this  month,  once  a  year, 
for  a  renewed  covenant  in  each  year  and  year.  '  16.  iVnd 
during  the  time  this  festival  was  being  celebrated  in 
heaven,  from  the  days  of  creation  to  the  days  of  Noah,  it 
was  twenty-six  jubilees  and  five  weeks  of  years;  and  Noah 
and  his  sons  observed  it  seven  jubilees  and  one  week  of 
years  until  the  time  when  Noah  died.  17.  But  his  chil- 
dren violated  it  until  the  days  of  Abraham,  and  they  ate 
blood.  But  Abraham  alone  observed  it,  and  Isaac  and 
Jacob  observed  it,  for  these  are  his  children,  up  to  tlw 
day;  and  in  thy  day  the  children  of  Israel  forgot  it  until 
I  renewed  it  for  them  on  this  mountain.  18.  And  thou 
command  the  children  of  Israel  that  the}-  should  observe 
this  festival  in  all  their  generations  as  a  coniniandment  for 

'  It  will  be  observed  here  and  throughout  the  book  that  the  author  con- 
nects the  religious  system  and  worship  in  Israel  not  only  with  the  ordinances 
of  the  tablets  of  heaven,  but  also  with  important  events  in  the  lines  of  the 
patriarchs. 


24  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES, 

them:  one  day  in  the  year,  in  this  month,  they  shall  cele- 
brate this  festival.  19.  For  it  is  the  festival  of  weeks  and 
is  a  festival  of  first  fruits;  for  this  festival  is  of  a  doubl't 
nature  and  double  kind,  as  is  written  and  engraved  con- 
cerning its  celebration.  20.  For  I  have  written  it  in  the 
book  of  the  first  law  in  which  I  wrote  to  thee  that  thou 
shouldst  observe  it  in  its  time  one  day  a  year;  and  I  have 
explained  to  thee  the  offerings  on  that  day,  that  they 
should  be  remembered  and  that  the  children  of  Israel 
should  celebrate  it  one  day  in  each  year.  21.  And  at  the 
new  moon  of  the  first  month,  and  in  the  new  moon  of  the 
fourth  month,  and  in  the  new  moon  of  the  seventh  month, 
and  in  the  new  moon  of  the  tenth  month  are  the  days  of 
remembrance  and  the  days  of  the  festivals  in  the  four 
divisions  of  the  years:  written  and  ordained  they  are  for 
a  testimony  until  eternity.  22.  And  Noah  ordained  them 
for  himself  as  festivals  for  future  generations,  for  on  them 
there  was  to  him  a  remembrance.  23.  At  the  new  moon  of 
the  first  month  it  was  said  to  him  that  he  should  make  for 
himself  an  ark,  and  on  it  the  earth  became  dry,  and  he 
opened  [the  ark]  and  saw  the  earth.  And  at  the  new 
moon  of  the  fourth  month  the  mouth  of  the  flood-gates  of 
the  lowest  deep  was  closed.  24.  And  at  the  new  moon  of 
the  seventh  month  all  the  mouths  of  the  fiood-gates  of  the 
earth  were  opened  and  the  waters  began  to  descend  into 
the  depth  beneath.  25.  And  at  the  new  moon  of  the 
tenth  month  the  tops  of  the  mountains  appeared,  and 
Noah  became  glad.  26.  And  on  this  account  he  ordained 
them  as  festivals  of  remembrance  unto  himself  unto  eter- 
nity, and  thus  they  arc  ordained.  27.  And  they  were 
raised  into  the  tablets  of  heaven:  thirteen  sabbaths  I0 
each,  from  one  to  another  their  remembrance,  from  the 
first  to  the  second,  from  the  second  to  the  third,  from  the 
third  to  the  fourth.  28.  And  all  the  days  of  this  com- 
mandment are  fifty-two  sabbaths  of  days,  and  the  whole 
year  is  completed.  29.  Thus  it  is  engraved  and  ordained 
in   the  tablets  of  heaven,  and  there   is  no   transgression 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  2$ 

from  one  year  to  another.  And  thou  command  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  that  they  should  observe  the  years  in  this 
number,  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  days,  and  the  year 
shall  be  complete  and  the  fixed  date  of  their  days  and 
their  festivals  shall  not  be  corrupted,  for  every  thing 
transpires  in  them  according  to  their  testimony,  and  they 
[Israel]  shall  not  miss  a  day  or  corrupt  a  festival.  31.  But 
if  they  do  transgress  and  do  not  observe  them  according 
to  his  commandment,  then  will  be  corrupted  all  their 
fixed  dates,  and  the  years  will  waver  in  consequence,  and 
also  their  times  and  their  years,  and  they  will  transgress 
their  ordinances.  32.  And  all  the  children  of  Israel  will 
forget  and  will  not  find  the  paths  of  the  years,  and  will 
forsret  the  new  moon  and  the  sabbaths  and  the  festivals, 
and  in  all  the  order  of  the  years  they  will  err.  33.  For  I 
know,  and  from  now  on  I  shall  make  it  known  to  thee, 
and  not  from  my  heart,  but  thus  is  written  in  a  book 
before  me  and  is  ordained  in  the  tablets  of  heaven,  the 
division  of  the  days,  that  they  forget  not  the  festivals  of 
my  covenant  and  walk  according  to  the  festivals  of  th::; 
gentiles,  after  their  errors  and  after  their  ignorance.  34. 
And  there  will  be  those  who  will  make  observations  of 
the  moon,  for  this  one  [the  moon]  corrupts  the  stated 
times  and  comes  out  earlier  each  year  by  ten  days.  35. 
And  in  this  way  they  will  corrupt  the  years  and  will 
observe  a  wrong  day  as  the  day  of  testimony  and  a  cor- 
rupted festival  day,  and  every  one  will  mix  holy  da3^s 
with  unclean  ones  and  unclean  with  holy ;  for  they  will 
err  as  to  months  and  sabbaths  and  festivals  and  jubilees. 
36.  And  on  this  account  I  command  thee  and  testify  to 
thee  that  thou  shouldst  testify  to  them,  for  after  thy  death 
thy  children  will  corrupt,  so  that  they  make  a  year  only 
three  hundred  and  sixty-four  days, '  and  on  this  account 
they  will  err  as  to  new  moons  and  sabbaths  and  fixed 
times  and  festivals  and  will  ever  eat  blood  with  all  kinds 
of  flesh. 

'  How  this  statement  is  to  be  reconciled  with  verse  30  is  not  clear. 

*3 


26  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

Chap.  VII.  i.  And  in  the  seventh  week,  in  the  first 
year  thereof,  in  this  jubilee,  Noah  planted  vines  on  this 
hill  upon  which  the  ark  had  rested,  named  Lubar,  the 
Ararat  Mountains,  and  they  produced  fruit  in  the  fourth 
year,  and  he  watched  their  fruit  and  gathered  them  in 
this  year  in  the  seventh  month,  and  he  made  wine  of  it, 
and  put  it  into  a  vessel  and  kept  it  until  the  fifth  3- ear,  until 
the  first  day  of  the  new  moon  of  the  first  month.  2.  And 
he  celebrated  this  day  in  rejoicing  as  a  festival,'  and  he 
made  a  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord,  a  young  one  from  among 
the  oxen  and  a  ram  and  a  sheep,  each  seven  years  old,  and  a 
young  goat,  that  he  might  thereby  obtain  pardon  for  him- 
self and  his  sons.  3.  And  he  prepared  the  goat  first,  and 
he  placed  of  its  blood  upon  the  flesh  of  the  altar  which  he 
had  made,  and  all  the  fat  he  laid  upon  the  altar  where  he 
was  sacrificing  to  the  Lord,  and  of  the  ox  and  the  sheep 
he  also  placed  the  flesh  upon  the  altar.  4.  And  he  made 
all  the  fruit  offerings  thereof  mixed  with  oil  upon  them, 
and  thereupon  he  first  scattered  wine  upon  the  fire  on  the 
altar,  and  placed  incense  upon  the  altar,  and  a  sweet  savor 
ascended  which  was  acceptable  before  the  Lord  his  God. 
5.  And  he  and  his  children  rejoiced  and  drank  of  this  wine 
in  joy.''  6.  And  it  was  evening,  and  he  went  into  his  tent, 
and  he  lay  down  drunken,  and  he  slept,  and  he  was  uncov- 
ered in  his  tent  while  sleeping.  7.  And  Ham  saw  his 
father  naked,  and  going  out  he  told  it  to  his  two  brothers 
without.  8.  And  Shem  took  his  garment  and  arose,  he 
and  Japheth,  and  they  carried  the  garment  upon  their 
shoulders,  and  their  faces  backward,  and  covered  the 
shame  of  their  father.  9.  And  Noah  awoke  from  his  sleep 
and  learned  everything  that  his  youngest  son  had  done  to 
him  ;  and  he  cursed  his  son  and  said  :  "  Cursed  be  Canaan, 
a  slaving  servant  shall  he  be  to  his  brothers."  And  he 
blessed  Shem  :  "Blessed  be  the  Lord   God  of  Shem,  and 

'  Cf.  chap.  vi.  vs.  21  and  22. 

•^  The  writer  apologetically  describes   the  wine  as  having  been  drunk  by 
Noah  on  the  occasion  of  a  religious  festival. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  2/ 

may  Canaan  be  his  servant ;  and  may  the  Lord  extend 
Japheth  and  may  the  Lord  dwell  in  the  tent  of  Shem,  and 
Canaan  shall  be  his  servant !  "  1 1 .  And  Ham  knew  that  his 
father  had  cursed  his  youngest  son,  and  he  became  dis- 
pleased with  him  because  he  had  cursed  his  son  and  he 
separated  himself  from  his  father,  he  and  his  sons  with 
him,  Chush,  and  Meshrem,  and  Pud,  and  Canaan.  12.  And 
he  built  for  himself  a  city,  and  called  its  name  after  the 
name  of  his  wife  Neelata-Mek.'  13.  And  Japheth  saw  it 
and  became  envious  of  his  brother,  and  he  too  built  a  city, 
and  called  its  name  after  the  name  of  his  wife  Adalenses. 
14.  But  Shem  dwelt  with  his  father  Noah,  and  he  built  a 
city  by  the  side  of  his  father  on  the  hill,  and  he  too  called 
its  name  by  the  name  of  his  wife  Sedukatelbab.  15.  And 
behold  these  three  cities  are  near  Mount  Lubar:  Seduka- 
telbab on  the  side  of  the  hill  on  the  east ;  Neultemauk 
on  the  south  side ;  and  Adalaneses  toward  the  west ;  and 
these  are  the  sons  of  Shem  :  Elam,  and  Asur,  and  Arpakeed: 
this  is  the  generation  after  the  second  year  of  the  flood  (?y 

these  are  the  children  of  Noah.     16.  And   in  the 

twenty-eighth  jubilee  he  began  to  command  the  sons  of 
his  sons  the  ordinances  and  the  commandments  all  as  he 
had  learned  them  and  the  judgments,  and  he  testified  to 
his  sons  that  they  should  observe  righteousness,  and  that 
they  should  cover  the  shame  of  their  flesh,  and  that  they 
should  bless  him  who  created  them,  and  should  honor 
father  and  mother,  and  each  should  love  his  neighbor,  and 
should  preserve  their  souls  from  all  fornication  and  from 
all  uncleanness  and  unrighteousness.  17.  For  on  account 
of  these  three  things  the  deluge  came  over  the  earth, 
namely  on  account  of  fornication,  in  which  the  Watchmen 
indulged  against  the  commandments  of  their  law,  with  the 
daughters  of  men,  and  took  to  themselves  wives  from  all 

'  Very  little  reliance  can  be  placed  upon  these  names  as  the  MSS.  vary, 
and  nearly  all  trace  of  the  etymology  is  lost.  The  copyists  naturally  made 
mistakes  in  writing  them. 

^  Here  is  a  lacuna  in  the  Ethiopic  text. 


28  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

whom  they  chose  and  made  the  beginning  of  uncleanncss. 
1 8.  And  thev  begat  sons,  the  Naphidem,  and  they  were  all 
unlike  and  they  devoured  one  another :  the  giant  slew  the 
•Naphil,  and  the  Naphil  slew  Eljo,  and  Eljo  the  children  of 
men,  and  all  publicly  practised  every  unrighteousness  and 
shed  much  blood,  and  the  earth  was  filled   with   unright- 
eousness ;  and  after  all  these  the  animals,  and  the  beasts, 
and  the  birds,  and  whatever  walks  and  moves  on  the  earth; 
and  much  blood  was  spilt  on  the  earth,  and  all  the  thoughts 
and  deeds  of  men  were  wicked  in  all  the  days.     19.  And 
the  Lord  destroyed  everything  from  the  face  of  the  earth 
on  account  of  their  deeds  and  on  account  of  the   blood 
\vhich  was  spilt  over  the  earth.     20.  And  we  were  left,  I 
arid  you,  my  sons,  and  everything  that  entered  with  us 
into  the  ark,  and  behold  I  am  the  first  to  see  your  works 
that  ye  do  not  walk  in  righteousness,  for  in   the  path  of 
destruction  have  you  commenced  to  walk,  and  are  sepa- 
rating yourselves  each  from  his  neighbor,  and  are  envious 
the  one  of  the  other,  and  are  not  in   harmony  each   with 
his  neighbor  and   his  brother.     21.  And  yet,  my  sons,  for 
I  see  arid  behold  the  satans  have  commenced  to  lead  astray 
you  and  3'^our  children  ;  and   now   I  fear  on   your  behalf 
that  after  my  death  ye  will  spill  the  blood  of  men  over  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  that  ye  too  will  be  destroyed   from 
its  face.     22,  For  every  one  that  sheds  the  blood  of  any 
man,  and  every  one  that  eats  the  blood  in  any  flesh,  shall 
all  be  destroyed  from  the  earth.     23.  And  there  shall  not  be 
left  any  man  who  eats  blood  and  who  sheds  blood  upon  the 
earth,  and  there  shall  not  be  left  alone  for  him  any  seed  or 
children  under  heaven  ;  for  they  will  go  into  Sheol,and  into 
the  place  of  judgment  they  will  descend,  in  the  darkness 
of  the  deep  they  will  all  be  cast  by  a  terrible  death.     24. 
With  regard  to  all  blood  over  you  which  is  in  all  the  days 
that  ye  sacrifice  an  animal  or  a  beast  or   whatever  flics 
over  the  earth,  and  do  a  good  deed  concerning  your  souls 
in  your  covering  of  that  which  has  been  spilt  over  the  face 
of  the  earth.     25.  And  ye  shall    not   be  like  him   that   eats 


The  book  of  jubilees.  29 

with  blood  ;  be  strong  that  no  one  eat  blood  in  your  pres- 
ence :  bury,  the  blood  in  the  earth  ;  for  as  I  have  been 
commanded,  I  testify  to  you  and  your  children  together 
with  all  flesh.  26.  And  ye  shall  not  eat  the  soul  with  the 
meat,  that  ye  be  not  those  of  whom  your  blood,  that  is, 
your  soul,  be  demanded  from  the  hands  of  every  one  that 
sheddeth  blood  on  the  earth.  27.  For  the  earth  will  not 
be  clean  of  the  blood  which  has  been  spilt  upon  it,  but 
only  by  the  blood  of  him  that  shed  it  will  the  earth  be 
cleansed  in  all  the  generations  of  the  earth.  28.  And  now, 
my  children,  obey  and  practise  righteousness  and  justice 
so  that  ye  be  planted  in  righteousness  upon  the  whole 
face  of  the  earth,  and  that  your  renown  be  elevated  before 
my  God  who  has  saved  me  from  the  water  of  the  deluge. 

29.  And,  behold,  ye  will  proceed  and  build  for  3^ourselves 
cities  and  will  plant  in  them  all  the  plants  that  are  upon 
the  earth  and  every  tree  that  bears  fruit ;  for  three  years 
its  fruit  shall  not  be  gathered  to  eat  it,  and  in  the  fourth 
year  the  fruit  shall  be  sanctified,  and  the  first  fruits  which 
they  gather  shall  be  brought  before  the  Lord  our  God, 
the  Most  High,  who  created  heaven  and  earth  and  all 
things,  so  that  they  bring  in  fatness  the  first  of  the  wine 
and  oil  as  first  fruits  upon  the  altar  of  the  Lord  who 
receives  it ;  and  what  is  left  the  servants  of  the  house  of 
the  Lord  shall  eat  before  the  altar  which  he  has  accepted. 

30.  And  in  the  fifth  year  make  the  release,  so  that  ye 
release  them  in  righteousness  and  justice,  and  you  shall  be 
just  and  all  your  plants  shall  be  right.  31.  For  thus  did 
Enoch,  the  father  of  your  father  Methusaleh,  command 
his  sons,  and  Methusaleh  his  son  Lamech,  and  Lamech 
commanded  me  all  the  things  which  his  father  commanded 
him  ;  but  I  command  it  to  you,  my  children,  just  as  Enoch 
commanded  his  son  in  his  first  jubilee  ;  while  he  was  alive, 
in  his  generation  the  seventh,  he  commanded  and  testified 
to  his  son  and  to  the  sons  of  iiis  sons  until  the  day  of  his 
death.' 

'  We  notice  here  the  principle  of  the  traditions  of  the  fathers  so  potent  in 
the  theology  of  New  Testament  Judaism.     Cf.  alst)  c.  x.  ii. 


30  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

Chap.  VIII.     i.  In  the  twenty-ninth  jubilee,  in  the  first 

week,  in  the  first  [year]  thereof,  Arphaksed  took  to  himself 

a  wife,  and  her  name  was  Rasuja,  the  daughter  of  Susan, 

the  daughter  of  Elam,  and  she  bore  him  a  son  in  the  third 

year  of  this  week,  and  he  called  his  name  Kainan.    2.  And 

his  son  grew,  and   his  father  taught  him   writing,  and  he 

went  to  seek  for  himself  a  place  where  he  might  seize  for 

himself  a  cit3^     3.  And   he  found   a   writing    which    the 

forefathers  had  carved  into  a  rock,  and  he  read  what  was 

in  it,  and  he  translated  it  and  found  that  there  was  within 

it  the  science  of  the  Watchmen  by  which   they  had  seen 

the  astrology  of  the  sun  and  the  moon  and  the  stars  and 

in  all  the  signs  of  heaven;'  and  he  wrote  this  down  and 

did  not  say  any  thing  concernnig  it,  for  he  feared  to  speak 

to  Noah  concerning  it,  lest  he  be  angry  with  him  on  this 

account.     4.  And  in  the  thirtieth  jubilee,  in  the  second 

week,  in  the  first  year  thereof,  he  took  to  himself  a  wife, 

and  her  name  was  Milka,  the  daughter  of  Abadai,  the  son 

of  Japhet,  and  in  the  fourth  year  she  bore  him  a  son,  and 

he  called  his  name  Sala,  for  he  said,  "  Verily,  I  have  been 

sent  away."     5.  And  in  the  fourth  yc^ar  Sala   was  born, 

and  he  grew  up  and  took  to  himself  a  wife,  and  her  name 

was  Muak,  the  daughter  of  Kesed,  the  brother  of  his  father, 

in  the  thirty-first  jubilee,  in  the  fifth  week,  in  the  first  year 

thereof.     And  she  bore  him  a  son  in  the  fifth  year,  and  he 

called  his  name  Ebor;  and   he  took  to  himself  a  wife,  and 

her  name   was   Azurad,  the  daughter  of  Nebrod,  in  the 

thirty-second  jubilee,  in  the  seventh  week,  in  the  third  year 

thereof.     6.  And  in  the  sixth  year  thereof  she  bore  him  a 

son,  and  he  called   his  name  Phalek,  for  in  the  days  when 

he  was  born   the  children  of  Noah   began   to  divide  the 

earth   among  themselves;  and  on  this  account  he  called 

his  name  Phalek.     7.  And  they  divided  the  earth  among 

themselves  in  wickedness,  and  told  it  to  Noah.     8.  And  it 

happened  in  the  beginning  of  the  thirty-third  jubilee,  and 

they  divided   the  earth  into  three  j^arts,  to  Shcni  and  lo 

'  Cf.  Book  of  Enoch,  c.  viii.  i  sqq. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  31 

Ham,  and  to  Japhet,  each  one  his  inheritance,  in  the  first 
year  of  the  first  week,  while  an  angel,  one  of  us  who  were 
sent  to  them,  was  there.  9.  And  he  called  his  sons,  and 
they  came  to  him,  they  and  their  children,  and  he  divided 
the  earth  by  lot  what  his  three  sons  should  take,  and  they 
stretched  out  their  hands  and  took  to  themselves  the 
writing  out  of  the  bosom  of  their  father  Noah.  10.  And 
there  came  out  on  the  writing  as  the  lot  for  Shem  the 
middle  of  the  earth,  which  he  and  his  children  should 
have  as  an  inheritance  for  the  generations  unto  eternity, 
from  the  middle  of  the  mountain  Rafu,  from  the  exit  of 
the  water  of  the  river  Tina,  and  his  portion  goes  toward 
the  west  through  the  midst  of  this  river,  and  they  go 
until  they  approach  to  the  abyss  of  the  waters  out  of 
which  comes  this  river,  and  this  river  empties  and  pours 
its  waters  into  the  sea  Miot,  and  this  river  goes  into  the 
great  sea:  all  that  is  toward  the  north  of  this  is  Japhet's, 
and  all  that  is  to  the  direction  of  the  south  is  Shem's.  11. 
And  it  reaches  until  it  comes  to  Karaso,  which  is  in  the 
bosom  of  the  tongue  which  looks  toward  the  south.  12. 
And  his  portion  reaches  unto  the  great  sea,  and  reaches 
straight  until  it  approaches  the  west  of  the  tongue  which 
looks  toward  the  south  ;  for  the  sea  is  called  the  tongue  of 
the  Egyptian  sea.  13.  And  it  turns  from  there  toward  the 
south,  toward  the  mouth  of  the  great  sea  in  the  shore  of 
the  waters  and  proceeds  toward  Arabia  and  Ophra,  and  it 
proceeds  until  it  reaches  to  the  water  of  the  river  Gejon 
and  toward  the  south  of  the  water  of  Gejon,  along  the 
shore  of  this  same  river.  14.  And  it  proceeds  toward  the 
north  until  it  approaches  the  garden  of  Eden,  toward  the 
south  thereof  to  the  south,  and  from  the  east  of  the  whole 
land  of  Eden,  and  toward  the  whole  east,  and  it  turns  to 
the  east,  and  proceeds  until  it  approaches  toward  the  cast 
of  the  hills  whose  name  is  Rafa,  and  it  descends  toward 
the  border  of  the  outlet  of  the  water  of  the  river  Tina. 
15.  This  portion  came  out  in  the  lot  for  Shem  and 
his  sons,  and    he   remembered   his  word   which    he    had 


32  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

spoken  with  his  mouth  in  prophecy,  for  he  had  said : 
"  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Shem,  and  may  the  Lord 
dwell  in  the  dwelling  of  Shem !"  17.  And  he  knew  that 
the  garden  of  Eden  is  the  hol}^  of  holies,  and  the  dwelling 
of  the  Lord,  and  Mount  Sinai,  the  centre  of  the  desert, 
and  Mount  Zion,  the  centre  of  the  navel  of  the  earth,' 
these  three,  opposite  one  another,  were  created  as  sanctu- 
aries. 18.  And  he  blessed  the  God  of  gods  who  had 
put  the  speech  of  the  Lord  into  his  mouth.  19.  And 
he  knew  that  a  blessed  portion  and  a  blessing  had  come 
to  Shem  and  to  the  children  of  his  generations  forever; 
the  whole  land  of  Edom,  and  all  the  land  of  the  Erythrian 
sea,  and  all  the  land  of  the  east,  and  India  and  at  the  Ery- 
thrian and  the  mountains  thereof,  and  all  the  land  of 
Basor,  and  all  the  land  of  Lebanon  and  the  islands  of 
Kuphalur,  and  all  the  land  of  Elam  and  Asur  and  Babel 
and  Susan  and  Madar,  and  all  the  mountains  of  Ararat, 
and  all  the  land  beyond  the  sea  which  is  beyond  the  hills 
of  Asur  toward  the  north,  a  blessed  and  prosperous  land, 
and  all  that  is  in  it  is  very  good.  20.  And  for  Ham  came 
out  as  the  second  portion,  beyond  the  Gijon,  toward  the 
south,  to  the  right  of  the  garden,  and  it  proceeds  to  all 
the  fire  mountains,  and  goes  toward  the  west  to  the  sea 
Atil,  and  goes  to  the  west  until  it  reaches  to  the  sea  of 
Mauk,  of  that  one  into  which  everything  descends  that  is 
destroyed.  21.  And  it  proceeds  to  the  north  to  the  shore 
of  Gadil  and  goes  to  the  west  of  the  water  of  the  sea 
until  it  approaches  the  river  Gejon,  and  the  river  Gejon 
goes  until  it  approaches  to  the  right  of  the  garden  of 
Eden:  and  this  is  the  land  which  came  forth  for  Ham  as 
the  portion  he  shall  retain  for  himself  and  the  children  of 
his  generations  forever.  22.  And  for  Japhet  there  came 
forth  a  third  portion  beyond  the  river  Tina,  toward  the 
north  of  the   exit  of  its   waters,  and   it  goes  toward  the 

'  That  Jerusalem  is  the  centre  of  the  earth  is  an  idea  often  met  with  in 
the  later  Jewish  writers,  and  it  is  therefore  also  the  central  place  of  the  Messi- 
anic rule.     C'f.,  e.  }{.,  Enoch,  Ivi.  7;   Dillmann,  Aethiop.  (.'hrest.,  p.  15. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  33 

northeast  the  whole  district  of  Lag,  and  all  the  east 
thereof.  23.  And  it  goes  toward  the  north  to  the  north, 
and  goes  to  the  mountains  of  Kilt,  toward  the  north  and 
toward  the  sea  Mafik,  and  it  goes  toward  the  east  of 
Gadir  over  toward  the  coast  of  the  water  of  the  sea.  24. 
And  it  proceeds  until  it  approaches  the  west  of  Para,  and 
returns  toward  Apherag,  and  goes  toward  the  east, 
towards  the  waters  of  the  sea  Meat.  And  it  goes  toward 
the  shore  of  the  river  Tina,  toward  the  east  of  the  north, 
until  it  approaches  to  the  shore  of  the  waters  thereof, 
toward  the  mountain  Rafa,  and  it  bends  toward  the  north. 
25.  This  is  the  land  which  came  forth  for  Japhet  and  his 
children  as  the  portion  of  his  inheritance  which  he  should 
hold  unto  eternity  for  himself  and  the  children  of  their 
generation  unto  eternity :  five  great  islands  and  a  greas 
land  in  the  north;  only  it  is  cold,  but  the  land  of  Ham  it 
hot,  and  the  land  of  Shem  has  neither  heat  nor  frost,  for  it 
mixed  in  coldness  and  heat. 

Chap.  IX.  i.  And  Ham  divided  among  his  sons;  and 
the  first  portion  came  out  for  Ques  toward  the  east,  and 
to  the  west  of  him  for  Phud,  and  to  the  west  of  him  for 
Kainan  toward  the  west  of  the  sea.  2.  And  Shem  also 
divided  among  his  sons,  and  the  first  portion  came  forth 
for  Elam  and  his  sons  toward  the  east  of  the  river  Tisfer, 
until  it  approaches  the  east,  the  whole  land  of  India  and 
on  the  Erythrian  and  its  coast,  and  the  waters  of  Dedan 
and  all  the  mountains  of  Mebri  and  Ela,  and  all  the  land 
of  Susan,  and  all  that  is  on  the  side  of  the  Phernak  to  the 
Erythrian  sea  and  the  river  Tina.  3.  But  for  Asur  came 
forth  a  second  portion,  all  the  land  of  Asur  and  Nineva 
and  Sinaor  and  to  the  border  of  India,  and  ascends  along 
the  river.  4.  And  for  Arphaksed  came  forth  a  third  por- 
tion, all  the  land  of  the  district  of  the  Chaldees  toward 
the  east  of  the  Euphrates,  bordering  on  the  Erythrian 
lea,  and  all  the  waters  of  the  desert  until  near  to  the 
tongue  of  the  sea  which  looks  toward  Egypt,  and  all  the 
sand  of  Libanon  and  Saner  and  vXmana   to  the   border  of 


34  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

the  Euphrates.  5.  And  for  Aram  came  forth  as  a  fourth 
portion  all  the  land  of  Mesopotamia,  between  the  Tiger 
and  the  Euphrates,  toward  the  north  of  the  Chaldees,  to 
the  border  of  the  mountains  of  Asur.  6.  And  the  land  of 
Arara  came  out  as  a  fifth  portion  to  his  son,  the  mountains 
of  Asur  and  all  belonging  to  them  until  it  reaches  to  the 
east  of  Asur,  his  brother.  7.  And  Japhet,  too,  divided  the 
land  of  his  inheritance  between  his  sons,  and  the  first  por- 
tion came  forth  for  Gomer  toward  the  east,  from  the  north 
side  to  the  river  Tina.  And  in  the  north  there  came 
out  for  Magog  all  the  inner  portions  of  the  north  until  it 
reaches  the  sea  Meat.  8.  And  for  Madai  came  forth  as 
his  portion  that  he  should  possess,  to  the  west  of  his  two 
brothers,  unto  the  islands  and  unto  the  coasts  of  the  islands. 
And  to  Egawan  came  forth  as  a  fourth  portion  all  the 
islands,  and  the  islands  which  are  toward  Edalud.  9.  And 
for  Tobel  came  forth  as  a  fifth  portion,  between  the  tongue 
which  approaches  tow^ard  the  side  of  the  portion  of  Lnd, 
to  the  second  tongue,  unto  beyond  the  second  tongue  into 
the  third  tongue.  10.  And  for  Melek  came  forth  as  a 
sixth  portion,  all  that  beyond  the  third  tongue,  until 
it  approaches  to  the  east  of  Gadir.  11.  And  for  Tiras 
came  forth  a  seventh  portion;  four  great  islands  in  the 
midst  of  the  sea,  which  approach  to  the  portion  of  Ham ; 
and  the  islands  of  Kamatura  came  out  for  the  sons  of 
Arphaksed  in  his  division  of  his  inheritance  by  lot.  12. 
And  thus  the  sons  of  Noah  divided  out  to  their  children, 
in  the  presence  of  Noah  their  father,  and  he  caused  them 
to  swear  an  oath  cursing  him  who  endeavored  to  seize  a 
portion  which  had  not  been  allotcd  him.  And  they  all 
said:  "Thus  be  it!  Thus  be  it!"  for  themselves  and  for 
their  descendants  to  eternity  in  their  generations,  until 
the  day  of  judgment,  on  which  th'j  Lord  God  will  judge 
them  with  a  sword  and  with  fire  for  all  the  wickedness  of 
uncleanness  which  they  have  committed  in  that  they  filled 
the  earth  with  transgression,  uncleanness,  fornication,  and 
sin. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  35 

Chap.  X.  i.  And  in  the  third  week  of  this  jubilee  the 
evil  demons  began  to  lead  astray  the  sons  of  Noah  and 
deceived  them  and  destroyed  them.  2.  And  the  sons 
came  to  Noah  their  father  and  told  him  concerning  the 
demons  which  were  leading  astray,  darkening,  and  slaying 
the  sons  of  their  sons.  3.  And  he  prayed  before  the  Lord 
his  God,  and  he  said  :  "  Lord  of  the  spirits'  of  all  flesh, 
thou  who  hast  shown  mercy  to  me  and  hast  delivered  me 
and  my  children  from  the  waters  of  the  deluge,  and  hast 
not  suffered  me  to  be  destroyed  as  thou  didst  the  children 
of  destruction,  for  thy  grace  was  great  over  men,  and 
great  was  thy  mercy  over  my  soul ;  may  thy  grace  be 
exalted  over  the  sons  of  thy  sons,  and  may  the  evil  spirit 
not  rule  over  them  to  destroy  them  off  the  earth.  And 
thou  hast  verily  blessed  me  and  my  sons  that  we  increase 
and  multiply  and  fill  the  earth.  4.  And  thou  knowest 
how  the  Watchmen,  the  fathers  of  these  spirits,  acted  in 
my  day  ;  and  these  spirits  also  which  are  alive,  cast  them 
into  prison  and  hold  them  in  the  places  of  judgment,  and  let 
them  not  destroy  the  sons  of  thy  servant,  my  God,  for 
they  are  terrible  and  created  for  destroying ;  and  may 
they  not  rule  over  the  spirits  of  the  living  ;  for  thou  alone 
knowest  their  judgment.  5.  And  let  them  have  no  sway 
over  the  children  of  the  righteous  from  now  on  and  to 
eternity.  6.  And  our  God  said  unto  us  that  we  should 
bind  all.  7.  And  the  angel  of  the  spirits,  Mastema,^  came 
and  said  :  "  O  Lord,  Creator,  leave  some  of  them  before 
me,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice  and  they  shall  do  all 
things  that  I  tell  them  ;  for  if  thou  dost  not  leave  any  of 
them  to  me  1  shall  not  be  able  to  accomplish  the  power  of 

'  A  typical  name  of  God  in  the  Parables  of  Enoch,  c.  xxxvii.  71. 

^  The  name  of  the  leader  of  the  evil  spirits  found  throughout  the  book. 
The  role  here  occupied  by  him  may  have  been  taken  from  that  of  Satan  in 
Job,  but  it  is  in  place  to  remark  that  in  many  apocryphal  works,  especially 
in  Enoch,  demonology  has  a  wide  field  and  the  satans  are  recognized  as 
organized  opponents  of  God,  who,  however,  do  their  evil  deeds  only  with 
his  permission.  The  word  Mastema  is  derived  from  DOb*  JOL'*.  the  Greek 
form  being  /taarKpar. 


36  THE  BOOK  OF  JUIULEES. 

my  will  among  the  children  of  men,  for  they  are  here  for 
corrupting,  and  destroying,  and  leading  astra}'  before  the 
judgment,  for  great  is  their  wickedness  to  the  children  of 
men."  8.  And  he  said  :  "  The  tenth  part  of  them  shall  be 
left  before  him  and  nine  parts  shall  descend  into  the  place 
of  judgment."  9.  And  one  of  us  said  :  "  We  will  teach 
Noah  all  their  medicines ;  "  for  they  did  not  walk  in  right- 
eousness, and  did  not  contend  in  uprightness.  And  we 
did  according  to  his  word  ;  all  the  wicked  ones  that  were 
terrible  we  bound  in  the  place  of  judgment,  but  the  tenth 
part  of  them  we  left,  that  they  should  be  judged  before 
Satan  on  the  earth.  10.  And  the  medicines  of  all  their 
sicknesses  we  explained  to  Noah  together  with  all  their 
deceptions  how  to  heal  them  with  the  plants  of  the  earth. 
II.  And  Noah  wrote  all  these  down  in  a  book  as  we  in- 
structed him,  concerning  every  kind  of  medicines,  and  the 
evil  spirits  were  held  away  from  the  sons  of  Noah.  12. 
And  he  gave  all  the  writings  which  he  had  written  to 
Shem,  his  oldest  son,  for  him  he  loved  exceedingly  above 
all  his  children.  13.  And  Noah  slept  with  his  fathers  and 
was  buried  on  Mount  Lubar,  in  the  land  of  Ararat.  14. 
Nine  hundred  and  fifty  years  he  completed  in  his  life ; 
nineteen  jubilees  and  two  weeks  and  five  years;  he  excelled 
in  his  life  on  the  earth  the  children  of  men  on  account  of 
his  righteousness,  in  which  he  was  perfect,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Enoch.  15.  For  the  history  of  Enoch  is  made 
a  testimony  to  the  generations  of  eternity  to  announce  all 
the  deeds  of  the  generation  on  the  day  of  judgment.  16. 
In  the  thirty-third  [fourth]  jubilee,  in  the  first  year  of  the 
second  week,  Phalek  took  to  himself  a  wife,  whose  name 
was  Lamna,  the  daughter  of  Sinaar,  and  she  bore  him  a 
son  in  the  fourth  year  of  this  week,  and  he  called  his  name 
Ragev,  for  he  said  :  "  Behold,  the  sons  of  men  have  become 
evil  through  a  plan  of  wickedness,  because  they  build  for 
themselves  a  city  and  a  tower  in  the  land  of  vSinaar ;  "  for 
they  separated  from  the  land  of  Ararat  toward  the  cast  to 
Suiaar,  for  in   his  day  they  were  building  a  city   and  a 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  37 

tower,  saying  :  "  We  will  ascend  on  it  into  heaven."  17. 
And  they  began  to  build  in  the  fourth  week,  and  they 
burned  with  fire,  and  they  used  bricks  for  stones,  and  the 
clay  with  which  they  joined  them  was  asphalt,  which 
comes  out  of  the  sea  and  out  of  the  fountains  of  water  in 
the  land  of  Sinaar,  and  they  built  forty  years,  and  three 

years  they  were  making  bricks 18.  And  the  Lord 

our  God  said  to  us :  "  Behold  it  is  one  people  that  has 
commenced  to  do  it,  and  now  I  shall  not  let  go  of  them  ; 
behold,  we  will  descend  and  mix  their  tongues,  and  one 
shall  not  hear  the  other  and  they  shall  be  scattered  into  cit- 
ies and  into  nations  and  one  counsel  shall  no  longer  abide 
with  them  until  the  day  of  judgment."  19.  And  the  Lord 
descended,  and  we  descended  with  him  to  see  the  city  and 
tower  which  the  children  of  men  were  building.  20.  And 
he  confounded  all  the  speech  of  their  tongues,  and  they 
no  longer  heard  the  voice  one  of  the  other,  and  they  ceased 
then  to  build  the  city  and  the  tower.  On  this  account  the 
whole  land  of  Sinaar  is  called  Babel,  because  there  God 
confused  all  the  tongues  of  the  children  of  men,  and  from 
there  they  were  scattered  to  all  their  cities,  each  accord- 
ing to  his  language  and  his  nation.  And  the  Lord  sent  a 
great  wind  against  the  tower  and  it  overturned  it  upon 
the  ground,  and  behold,  [it  stood]  between  the  land  of 
Assur  and  Babyhjn  in  the  land  of  Sinaar,  and  they  called 
its  name  Ruins.  21.  And  in  the  fourth  week,  in  the  first 
year  of  the  thirty-fourth  jubilee  they  were  scattered  out 
of  the  land  of  Sinaar.  22.  And  Ham  and  his  sons  went 
into  the  land  which  he  had  taken,  which  fell  to  him  by  lot 
in  the  land  of  the  north  [south];  and  Kainaan  saw  the  land 
of  the  Libanon  to  the  canal  of  Egypt  that  it  was  very 
good,  and  he  did  not  go  into  the  land  of  his  inheritance 
to  the  west  of  the  sea,  and  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Libanon 
to  the  east  and  to  the  west  of  the  land  of  the  Jordan  and 
on  the  coast  of  the  sea.  23.  And  Ham,  his  father,  and 
Cush  and  Mezrem,  his  brothers,  said  to  him  :  "  Thou  hast 
settled  in  a  land  which  is  not  thine  and  did  not  fall   to  us 


38  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

by  lot,  thou  shouldst  not  do  thus ;  for  if  thou  doest  thus, 
then  thou  and  thy  children  will  fall  by  condemnation  in 
the  land,  and  as  cursed  ones  by  sedition,  for  by  sedition 
ye  have  settled  and  by  sedition  thy  children  will  fall  and 
thou  wilt  be  rooted  out  to  eternity.  24.  Do  not  dwell  in 
the  dwelling  place  of  Shem,  for  to  Shem  and  his  children 
was  it  given  by  lot.  25.  Cursed  art  thou  and  cursed  shalt 
thou  be  above  all  the  sons  of  Noah  by  the  curse  which  we 
covenanted  with  an  oath  between  us  in  the  presence  of 
the  holy  judge  and  before  Noah  our  father."  26.  But  he 
did  not  listen  to  them  and  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Libanon 
from  Emath  to  the  entrance  of  Egypt,  he  and  his  sons 
until  this  da)\  27.  And  on  this  account  this  land  is  called 
Canaan.  28.  But  Japheth  and  his  sons  went  toward  the 
east  and  dwelt  in  their  portions  and  Madai  saw  the  land 
of  the  sea,  and  it  pleased  him,  and  he  begged  it  from 
Elam,  and  Assur,  and  Arphaksed,  the  brother  of  his  wife, 
and  he  dwelt  in  the  land  Medkin,  near  to  the  brother  of 
his  wife  until  this  day.  29.  And  he  called  his  dwelling 
place  and  the  dwelling  place  of  his  sons  Madakia,  by  the 
name  of  their  father  Madai. 

Chap.  XI.  i.  In  the  thirty-fifth  jubilee,  in  the  third 
week,  in  the  first  year  thereof,  Ragev  took  unto  himself  a 
wife,  and  her  name  was  Ora,  the  daughter  of  Or,  the 
daughter  of  the  son  of  Kesed,  and  she  bore  him  a  son,  and 
he  called  his  name  Serug,  in  the  seventh  year  of  this  week 
of  this  jubilee.  2.  And  the  sons  of  Noah  began  to  fight 
with  each  other,  to  take  captive  and  to  slay  each  one  his 
brother,  and  to  spill  the  blood  of  men  over  the  earth,  and 
to  eat  blood,  and  to  build  strong  cities,  and  walls,  and 
towers  (and  single  men  elevated  themselves  above  the 
people,  and  first  founded  kingdoms),  and  to  make  war,  a 
nation  against  a  nation,  and  nations  against  nations,  and 
city  against  city,  and  all  things  became  worse,  and  they 
acquired  for  themselves  arms,  and  taught  their  sons  war, 
and  began  to  take  captive  the  cities  and  to  sell  male  and 
female  slaves.     3.  And  Ur,  the  son  of  Kesed,  built  Era  of 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  39 

the  Chaldees,  and  called  its  name  after  his  own  name  and 
by  the  name  of  his  father.  4.  And  he  made  for  himself 
molten  images,  and  they  worshipped  each  one  his  own 
image  which  they  had  made  for  themselves  by  molding, 
and  they  began  to  make  sculptured  images  and  unclean 
forms,  and  the  terrible  spirits  assisted  them  and  misled 
them  to  commit  transgression  and  uncleanness.  5.  And 
the  prince  Mastema  gave  his  power  to  make  all  this, 
and  through  the  angels  who  had  been  given  under  his 
hand,  he  sent  out  his  hand  to  do  all  wickedness  and  sin 
and  all  transgression,  and  to  destroy  and  to  murder  and  to 
shed  blood  over  the  earth.  6.  On  this  account  his  name 
was  called  Serach,  for  Serach  turned  himself  in  all  things 
to  do  all  kinds  of  sin.  7.  And  he  grew  and  dwelt  in  Ur 
of  the  Chaldees  near  to  the  father  of  the  mother  of  his  wife, 
and  he  worshipped  idols,  and  he  took  to  himself  a  ^ife  in 
the  thirty-sixth  jubilee,  in  the  fifth  week,  in  the  first  year 
thereof,  and  her  name  was  Melka,  the  daughter  of  Keher, 
the  daughter  of  the  brother  of  his  father.  And  she  bore 
him  a  son  Nakor,  in  the  first  year  of  this  week,  and  he 
grew  and  dwelt  in  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  and  his  father 
taught  him  the  researches  of  the  Chaldees,  divination  and 
astrology  according  to  the  signs  of  the  heavens.  8.  And 
in  the  thirty-seventh  jubilee,  in  the  sixth  week,  in  the  first 
year  thereof,  he  took  to  himself  a  wife,  and  her  name  was 
Ijosek,  the  daughter  of  Nesteg  of  the  Chaldees.  9.  And 
she  bore  him  Tarah  in  the  seventh  year  of  this  week.  10. 
And  the  prince  Mastema  sent  ravens  and  birds  that  they 
should  eat  what  was  sown  on  the  land,  in  order  to  destroy 
the  land;  so  that  they  might  deprive  the  children  of  men 
of  their  labor,  for  before  they  plowed  in  the  seed  the 
ravens  picked  it  up  from  the  surface  of  the  ground.  11. 
On  that  account  his  father  called  his  name  Tarah,  because 
the  ravens  and  the  birds  robbed  them  and  devoured  their 
seed.  12.  And  the  years  began  to  be  barren  on  account 
of  the  birds,  and  all  the  fruit  of  the  trees  the}'  ate  from  the 
trees  ;  with  great  strength  they  were  able  to  save  a  little 


40  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

from  all  the  fruit  of  the  land  in  their  days.  13.  And  in 
the  thirtv-ninth  jubilee,  in  the  second  week,  in  the  first 
year,  Tarah  took  to  himself  a  wife,  and  her  name  was 
Edna,  the  daughter  of  Abram,  the  daughter  of  the  sister 
of  his  father.  14.  And  in  the  seventh  ^-ear  of  this  week 
she  bore  him  a  son,  and  he  called  his  name  Abram  by  the 
name  of  the  father  of  his  mother,  for  he  had  died  before 
his  daughter  conceived  a  son.  15.  And  the  child  began 
to  understand  the  errors  of  the  earth,  that  all  went  astray 
after  the  images  and  after  uncleanness ;  and  his  father 
taught  him  writing  when  two  weeks  of  years  old  ;  and  he 
separated  himself  from  his  father  that  he  might  not  wor- 
ship the  idols  with  him.  16.  And  he  began  to  pray  to  the 
Creator  of  all  things  that  he  should  save  him  from  the 
errors  of  the  children  of  men,  and  that  his  portion  should 
not  fall  into  error  after  uncleanness  and  shame.  17.  And 
the  time  of  seed  came  to  sow  it  upon  the  land,  and  all 
came  out  together  to  watch  their  seed  against  the  ravens, 
and  Abram  came  out  with  those  that  came  out,  and  he 
was  a  boy  of  fourteen  years.  18.  And  a  cloud  of  ravens 
came  to  devour  the  seed,  and  Abram  ran  to  scatter  them 
before  they  sat  down  on  the  earth  to  eat  the  seed,  and 
said:  "Do  not  devour;  return  to  the  place  whence  you 
came!"  and  they  turned  back.  19.  And  clouds  of  ravens 
returned  that  day  seven  times,  and  of  all  the  ravens  none 
sat  down  upon  any  of  the  land  where  Abram  was,  and  not 
one  was  left  there.  20.  And  all  those  that  were  with  him 
on  the  whole  land  saw  him  crying,  and  all  the  ravens 
turned  back,  and  great  was  his  name  in  all  the  land  of  the 
Chaldecs.  21.  And  there  came  to  him  in  this  year  all 
those  that  had  sowed  seed,  and  he  would  go  with  them 
until  the  time  of  sowing  in  the  land  ceased,  and  they 
sowed  in  their  land,  and  in  this  year  they  brought  home 
grain,  and  ate  it  and  were  satisfied.  22.  And  in  the  fifth 
year  of  the  fifth  week  Abram  taught  those  who  make  the 
instruments  for  oxen,  the  workmen  in  wood,  and  they 
made  utensils  over  the  earth,  opjiosite  the  crook   timber 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  4I 

of  the  plows  in  order  to  put  the  seed  thereon,  and  to  let 
the  seed  fall  out  of  it  into  the  seed  furrows.  23.  And  it 
was  hidden  in  the  earth,  and  they  no  longer  feared  the 
ravens;  and  thus  they  did  on  all  the  crook-timber  of  the 
plows  over  the  earth,  and  they  sowed  and  worked  the 
land  each  one  as  Abram  had  commanded  them,  and  no 
longer  feared  the  ravens. 

Chap.  XII.  i.  And  it  happened  in  the  sixth  week,  in 
the  seventh  year  thereof,  Abram  said  unto  Tarah,  his 
father,  saying,  "Father!"  And  he  said,  "Behold,  here  I 
am,  my  son!"  2.  And  he  said:  "What  assistance  and 
what  pleasure  have  we  from  all  the  idols  which  thou  dost 
worship  and  before  which  thou  dost  prostrate  thyself? 
3.  For  there  is  no  spirit  in  them,  but  they  are  dumb 
statues  and  a  deception  of  the  heart:  do  not  worship 
them.  4.  Worship  the  God  of  heaven,  who  sends  down 
dew  and  rain  upon  the  earth  and  does  everything  upon 
the  earth  and  has  created  everything  through  his  word 
and  all  living  things  are  from  before  his  face.  5.  Wh}^ 
do  ye  worship  those  who  have  no  heart  and  spirit  in 
them ;  for  they  are  the  works  of  hands,  and  upon  your 
shoulders  do  ye  carry  them,  and  ye  have  from  them  no 
help,  but  a  great  disgrace  to  those  who  makje  them 
and  a  deception  of  the  heart  to  those  who  worship  them : 
do  not  worship  them!  "  6.  And  Tarah  said:  "  I  also  know 
it,  my  son  ;  but  what  shall  I  do  with  this  people  who  com- 
mand me  that  I  should  serve  them  ?  7.  If  I  tell  them  the 
truth,  they  will  slay  me ;  for  their  soul  clings  to  them  to 
worship  and  to  glorify  them.  8.  Keep  silent,  my  son,  lest 
they  slay  thee!  "  9.  And  these  words  he  spoke  to  his  two 
brothers,  and  they  became  angry  at  him,  and  he  kept 
silent.  10.  And  in  the  fortieth  jubilee,  in  the  second  week, 
in  the  seventh  year  thereof,  Abram  took  to  himself  a  wife, 
and  her  name  was  Sara,  the  daughter  of  his  father,  and 
she  became  to  him  a  wife.  11.  And  Aran,  his  brother, 
took  to   himself  [a  wife]  in  the  third  year  of  this  week, 

*4 


42  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

and  his  wife  bare  him  a  son  in  the   seventh   year  of  this 
week,  and  he  called  his  name  Lot.     12.  And  Nachor  also, 
his  brother,  took  to  himself  a  wife.     13.  And  in  the  [six- 
tieth] year  of  the  life  of  Abram,   that   is,   in   the  fourth 
year  of  the   fourth   week,  Abram   arose  in  the  night,  and 
burned  down  the   house  of  his  idols,  and  burned  all  that 
was  in  the  house,  and  there  was  no  man  that  knew  it.     14. 
And  they  arose  in  the  night  and  desired  to  save  their  idols 
from  the  midst  of  the  flame.     15.  And  Aran  ran  in  order 
to  save  them,  and  the  fire  burned  over  him  and  he  burned 
in  the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  he  died  in  Ur  of  the  Chaldees 
before  Tarah,  his  father,  and  they  buried  him  in  Ur.     16. 
And  Tarah  went  away  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  he  and 
his  sons,  in  order  to  come  into  the  land  of  the  Lebanon 
and  into  the  land  of  Canaan;  and  he  dwelt  in  Haran,  and 
Abram  dwelt  with  his  father  Tarah  in  Haran  two  weeks 
of  years.     17.  And   in  the   sixth   week,  in  the   fifth  year 
thereof,   /Vbram   arose  and   sat  in   the  night  at  the  new 
moon  of  the  seventh  month,  so  that  he  might  observe  the 
stars  from  the  evening  to  the  morning,  so  that  he  might 
know   what   would    be    the    character  of   the    year    with 
regard  to  the  rains,  and  he  was  sitting  alone  and  observ- 
ing.    18.  And  a  word   came   into   his  heart,  and  he  said: 
"  All  the  signs  of  the  stars  and  the  signs  of  the  sun  and  of 
the  moon  are  all  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord ;  why  do  I  search 
them  out?     19.  If  he  desires,  he  causes  it  to  rain,  morning 
and  evening;  and  if  he  desires,  he  causes  it  to  descend, 
and  all  things  are  in  his  hands."     20.  And   he  prayed  in 
that  night,  and   said:  "My  God,  God   Most   High,  thou 
alone  art  a  God  to  me,  and  thou  hast  created  all  things, 
and  all  things  that  are  are  the  works  of  thy  hand,  and  thee 
and  thy  godship  have  I  chosen.     21.   Deliver  me  from  the 
hands  of  the  evil  spirits   who  reign  over  the  thoughts  of 
the  hearts  of  men,  and  let  them  not  lead  me  astray   from 
thee,  my  God,  and  cause  thou  mc  and  my  seed  in  eternity 
not  to  go  astray  from  now  on  and  to  eternity!     22.   And  I 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  43 

say,  shall  I  return  to  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  who  seek  my 
face,  that  I  should  return  to  them ;  or  shall  I  remain  here 
in  this  place;  the  right  path  before  thee  prosper  in  the 
hands  of  thy  servant,  that  he  may  foil  )w  it  and  not  walk 
in  the  error  of  my  heart,  O  my  God  I  "  23.  He  com- 
pleted his  words  and  prayer,  and,  behold,  the  Lord  sent  a 
word  to  him  through  me,  saying:  Up,  go  thou  out  of  thy 
country,  and  out  of  thy  kindred,  and  out  of  the  house 
of  thy  father,  into  a  land  which  I  will  show  to  thee,  and  I 
will  make  thee  in  the  land  which  is  great  into  a  great  and 
numerous  people.  24.  And  I  will  bless  thee  and  will 
make  thy  name  great,  and  thou  shalt  be  blessed  in  the 
land,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed  in 
thee ;  those  that  bless  thee  I  will  bless,  and  those  that 
curse  thee  I  will  curse.  25.  And  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee 
and  to  thy  children  and  to  thy  children's  children  and  to 
all  thy  seed,  and  behind  thee  will  be  thy  God.  26.  Fear 
not,  from  now  on  to  all  the  generations  of  the  earth  I  am 
thy  God."  27.  And  the  Lord  God  said  to  me :  "  Open  his 
mouth  and  his  ears  that  he  may  hear  and  speak  with  the 
language  which  has  been  revealed ; "  for  it  had  ceased 
from  the  mouths  of  all  the  children  of  men.  28.  And  I 
opened  his  mouth  and  his  lips,  and  I  opened  his  ears,  and 
I  began  to  speak  with  him  in  Hebrew,  in  the  tongue  of 
creation ;  and  he  took  the  books  of  his  father,  and  these 
were  written  in  Hebrew,  and  he  copied  them,  and  he 
began  to  learn  them  from  then  on,  and  I  made  known  to 
him  every  thing  he  was  incapable  [of  understanding],  and 
he  studied  them  the  six  months  of  the  rainy  period.  29. 
And  it  happened  in  the  seventh  year  of  the  sixth  week, 
and  he  spoke  with  his  father,  and  informed  him  that  he 
would  go  from  Haran  to  go  to  the  land  of  Canaan  to  see 
it  and  to  return  to  him.  30.  And  Tarah,  his  father,  said 
to  him:  "Go  in  peace!  the  God  of' the  worlds  make 
straight  thy  path,  and  the  Lord  be  with  thee  and  protect 
thee  from  all  evil,  and  give  to  thee  good  will  and  mercy 
and  grace  before  those  who  see  thee ;  and  mav  none  of 


44  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

the  sons  of  men  come  over  thee  to  do  thee  evil ;  go  in 
peace!  31.  And  if  thou  seest  a  land  pleasant  to  thy  eyes 
to  dwell  in  it,  then  up,  and  take  me  with  thee;  and  take 
Lot  with  thee,  the  son  of  Aran  thy  brother,  as  thy  son, 
and  God  be  with  thee.  32.  But  Nachor  thy  brother  leave 
with  me  until  thou  returnest  in  peace  and  we  go  with  thee 
together." 

Chap.  XIII.  i.  And  Abram  went  from  Haran,  and 
took  Sara,  his  wife,  and  Lot,  the  son  of  his  brother  Aran, 
to  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  he  came  into  the  land  of  Asur, 
and  proceeded  to  Sakimon,  and  dwelt  near  a  great  oak.' 
And  he  saw  the  land,  and,  behold,  it  was  very  beautiful 
from  the  entrance  of  Emet  to  the  great  mountains.  2. 
And  the  Lord  said  to  him :  "  To  thee  and  to  thy  seed  I 
will  give  this  land."  3.  And  he  built  an  altar  there,  and 
brought  upon  it  a  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  who  had  appeared 
to  him.  4.  And  he  arose  from  there,  with  the  hill  Bethel 
toward  the  sea  [west],  and  Ai  to  the  east,  and  fixed  his 
tent  there.  5.  And  he  saw,  and,  behold,  the  land  was 
pleasant  and  extended  and  very  wide,  and  every  thing 
grew  on  it,  vines  and  figs  and  pomegranates  and  terebinths 
and  oil  trees  and  cedars  and  Lebanon  trees  and  cypresses 
and  all  the  trees  of  the  field ;  and  water  was  upon  the 
hills.  6.  And  he  blessed  the  Lord  who  had  led  him  out 
of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  and  brought  him  to  this  hill.  7. 
And  it  happened  in  the  first  year,  in  the  seventh  week,  at 
the  new  moon  of  the  first  month,  that  he  built  an  altar  on 
this  hill,  and  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord:  "Thou 
art  my  God,  the  God  unto  eternity."  8.  And  he  placed 
upon  the  altar  a  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord,  that  he  should 
be  with  him  and  should  not  desert  him  all  the  days  of  his 
life.  9.  And  he  arose  from  there  and  went  toward  the 
north,"  and  he  came  to  Hebron,  and  Hebron  was  built  at 
that  time,'  and  he  dwelt  there  two  years  in  the  land  to  the 

'  Cf.    Gen.  xii.  6. 

'  It  should,  of  course,  be  "southward," — probably  a  blunder  of  a  trans- 
lator living  in  F^thiopia.  *  Cf.  Num.  xiii.   22. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  45 

north  of  Boa-Lot,  and  there  was  a  famine  in  the  land,  and 
Abram  went  into  Egypt  in  the  third  year  of  this  week, 
and  he  dwelt  in  Egypt  five  years  before  his  wife  was  torn 
away  from  him.  lo.  But  Tanai '  in  Egypt  was  then  built 
in  the  seventh  winter  after  Hebron,  ii.  And  it  happened 
that  when  Pharaoh  seized  Sara,  the  wife  of  Abram,  the 
Lord  punished  Pharaoh  and  his  whole  house  with  large 
plagues,  on  account  of  Sara,  the  wife  of  Abram.  And 
Abram  was  very  conspicuous  by  wealth  in  sheep  and 
oxen  and  asses  and  horses  and  camels  and  in  man-servants 
and  in  maid-servants  and  in  silver  and  in  gold  exceedingly, 
and  Lot,  also,  the  son  of  his  brother,  was  wealthy.  12. 
And  Pharaoh  brought  back  Sara,  the  wife  of  Abram,  and 
sent  him  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  and  he  came  to  a  place 
where  he  had  first  fixed  his  tent,  at  the  place  of  the  altar 
at  Age  to  the  east  of  Bethel,  and  he  went  and  blessed  tlie 
Lord  his  God  who  had  brought  him  back  in  peace.  13. 
And  it  happened  in  the  forty-first  jubilee,  in  the  third  3-ear 
of  the  first  week,  he  returned  to  this  place,  and  placed 
upon  it  a  burnt  sacrifice,  and  called  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  and  said:  "Thou,  O  Lord,  Most  High  God,  art  my 
God  to  all  eternity."  14.  And  in  the  fo'irth  year  of  this 
week  Lot  separated  from  him,  and  Lot  dwelt  in  Sodom  ; 
but  the  men  of  Sodom  were  great  sinners.  And  he  grieved 
in  his  heart  that  the  son  of  his  brother  had  separated 
from  him,  for  he  had  no  children.  15.  And  in  that  year 
when  Lot  was  taken  captive,  the  Lord  also  said  to  Abram, 
after  Lot  had  separated  from  him,  in  the  fourth  year  of 
this  week,  and  said:  "Lift  up  thine  eyes  from  the  place 
here  where  thou  art  dwelling  toward  the  north  and  south 
and  west  and  east.  16.  For  the  whole  land  which  thou 
seest  I  will  give  to  thee  and  thy  seed  to  eternity,  and  I 
will  make  thy  seed  like  the  sand  on  the  sea;  and  wlicii 
man  is  able  to  count  the  sand  on  the  sea,  then  thy  seed 
will  be  counted.    17.  Arise  and  go  through  it  in  its  length 

'I.  e.,  jyv,  T«wV.     Num.  xiii.  22. 


4.6  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

and  breadth  and  see  it  all,  for  to  thy  seed  I  will  give  it." 
1 8.  And  Abram  went  to  Hebron  and  dwelt  there.  19.  And 
in  that  year  came  Kolodogomor,  the  king  of  Elam,  and 
Emalphel,  the  king  of  Sinar,  and  Ariok,  the  king  of  Sela- 
sar,  and  TirgCd,  the  king  of  the  Gentiles,  and  slew  the 
king  of  Gomorrha,  and  the  king  of  Sodom  fled,  and  many 
fell  by  wounds  in  Sedemav  and  in  the  salt-district,  and 
they  took  captive  Sodom  and  Adam  and  Sheboem,  and 
Lot,  also,  the  son  of  the  brother  of  Abram,  and  all 
his  possessions,  and  went  to  Dan.  20.  And  one  who  had 
escaped  came  and  told  Abram,  that  the  son  of  the  brother 
of  Abram  had  been  taken  captive.'  21.  And  the  house- 
servant  brought  for  Abram  and  his  seed  the  first  tenth  to 
the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  ordained  it  as  an  ordinance  to 
eternity,  that  they  should  give  [this]  to  the  priests  who 
served  before  him,  that  they  should  possess  it  forever.  22. 
And  to  this  law  is  not  a  limit  of  days,  but  it  is  ordained 
to  the  generation  of  eternity,  that  they  should  give  the 
tenth  to  the  Lord,  of  their  seed  and  of  their  wine  and  of 
their  oil  and  of  their  oxen  and  of  their  sheep.  23.  And 
he  gave  it  to  his  priests  to  eat  and  to  drink  in  joy  before 
him.  24.  And  the  king  of  Sodom  came  to  him  and  bowed 
down  before  him,  and  said:  "Our  lord  Abram,  give  us 
the  souls  thou  hast  saved,  but  let  the  booty  be  thine." 
25.  And  Abram  said  to  him  :  "  I  lift  up  my  hands  to  God 
on  high,  from  a  thread  to  a  shoe-latchet  I  will  take  nothing 
from  all  that  is  thine,  so  that  thou  sayest  not,  '  I  have 
made  Abram  rich,'  only  except  what  the  youths  have 
eaten  and  the  portion  for  the  men  who  came  with  mc, 
Avnan,  Eskol,  and  Mam  re,  these  shall  take  their  share." 
Cii.vr.  XIV.  1.  And  after  these  events,  in  the  fourth 
year  of  this  week,  in  the  new  moon  of  the  third  month, 
the  voice  of  the  Lord  came  to  Abram  in  a  dream,  saying: 
"Fear  not,  Abram,  for  I  am  thy  defender  and  thy  exceed- 
ing great  reward."     2.  And  he  said  :  "  ()  Lord,  Lord,  what 

'  There  is  certainly  a  lacuna  between  this  and  the  following  verse,  alUioii^'h 
there  is  nothing  in  the  Ethiopic  text  to  show  it. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  47 

wilt  thou  give  me,  and  I  have  no  son;  and  the  son  of 
Masek,  the  son  of  my  maid-servant,'  this  Eleazer  of  Dam- 
ascus, he  will  be  my  heir ;  but  to  me  thou  hast  not  given 
any  seed."  3.  And  he  said  to  him:  "  This  one  will  not  be 
thy  heir,  but  he  that  comes  from  thy  body,  he  will  be  thy 
heir."  4.  And  he  took  him  without  and  said  to  him : 
"  Look  upon  the  heavens  and  see  the  stars  of  heaven,  if 
thou  art  able  to  count  them."  5.  And  he  looked  at  the 
heavens  and  saw  the  stars ;  and  he  said  to  him :  "  Thus 
shall  be  thy  seed."  6.  And  he  believed  the  Lord,  and  it 
was  accounted  to  him  for  righteousness.  7.  And  he  said 
to  him :  "  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  who  have  brought  thee 
out  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  that  I  might  give  thee  the  land 
of  Canaan  for  an  eternal  possession,  and  I  will  be  to  thee 
and  thy  children  after  thee  a  God."  8.  And  he  said:  "O 
Lord,  Lord,  by  what  am  I  to  know  that  I  shall  inherit  it?" 
9.  And  he  said  to  him :  "  Take  to  thyself  a  heifer  of  three 
years,  and  a  goat  of  three  years,  and  a  sheep  of  three 
years,  and  a  turtle-dove  and  a  pigeon."  10.  And  he  took 
all  these  in  the  middle  of  the  month,  and  he  dwelt  near 
the  oak  Mamre,  which  is  near  Hebron,  and  he  built  there 
an  altar,  and  sacrificed  all  these  and  poured  their  blood 
upon  the  altar,  and  divided  them  into  halves  and  laid  them 
opposite  each  other;  but  the  birds  he  did  not  divide.  12. 
And  birds  descended  upon  the  pieces,  and  Abram  drove 
them  away  and  would  not  suffer  the  birds  to  touch  them. 
13.  And  it  happened  when  the  sun  had  set,  a  stupor  fell 
upon  Abram,  and,  behold,  a  great  horror  of  darkness  fell 
upon  him,  and  it  was  spoken  to  Abram:''  "Know  in 
truth  that  thy  seed  will  be  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land, 
and  they  will  make  them  servants  and  oppress  them  tour 
hundred  years.  14.  But  the  nation  which  they  serve  I 
will  judge,  and  after  that  they  will  go  out  from  there  with 
many  possessions.  15.  And  thou  shalt  go  to  tliv  fatliers  in 
peace  and  shalt  be  buried  in  a  good  age.  16.  And  in  the 
fourth  generation  they  shall  return  hither,  for  not  yet  are 

'  Cf.  LXX.  on  (len.  xv.  2.  •'  Cf.  LXX.  on  CJen.  xv.  13. 


48  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

the  sins  of  the  Amorites  completed."  17.  And  he  awoke 
from  his  sleep,  and  he  arose,  and  the  sun  had  set,  and 
there  was  a  flame,  and,  behold,  an  oven  was  smoking,  and 
a  flame  of  fire  passed  through  between  the  pieces.  18. 
And  on  that  day  the  Lord  made  a  covenant  with  Abram, 
saying:  "To  thy  seed  I  will  give  this  land  from  the  river 
of  Egypt  unto  the  great  river  Euphrates,  the  Kenites  and 
the  Kenizzites  and  the  Kadmonites  and  the  Perizzites  and 
the  Rephaimites  and  the  Ewites  and  the  Amorites  and  the 
Canaanites  and  the  Girgashites."  19.  And  Abram  went 
and  took  up  the  pieces  and  the  birds  and  the  fruit  and  the 
drink  offerings,  and  the  fire  devoured  them.  20.  And  on 
that  day  we  made  a  covenant  with  Abram  according  to 
the  covenant  which  he  had  made  in  this  month  with 
Noah ;  and  x\bram  renewed  the  festival  and  ordinance  for 
himself  unto  eternity.'  21.  And  Abram  rejoiced  and  told 
all  these  things  to  Sara,  his  wife,  and  he  believed  that  he 
would  have  seed ;  but  she  did  not  bring  forth.  And  Sara 
advised  her  husband  Abram,  and  said  to  him :  "  Go  in  to 
Hagar,  my  Egyptian  maid ;  it  is  possible  that  he  will  raise 
up  for  thee  seed  from  her."  22.  And  Abram  obeyed  the 
voice  of  Sara,  his  wife,  and  said  to  her,  "  Do  it,"  and  Sara 
took  her  Egyptian  maid  Hagar  and  gave  her  to  Abram, 
her  husband,  that  she  should  become  his  wife.  23.  And 
he  went  in  to  her,  and  she  conceived  and  bore  him  a  son, 
and  he  called  his  name  Ishmael,  in  the  fifth  year  of  this 
week:  and  this  was  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  the  life  of 
Abram," 

Chap.  XV.  i.  In  the  fifth  year  of  the  fourth  week  of 
this  jubilee,  in  the  third  month,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
month,  Abram  celebrated  the  festival  of  the  first  of  the 
grain  harvest;  and  he  brought  new  offerings  beside  offer- 
ing of  the  first-fruits  to  the  Lord,  an  ox  and  a  goat  and  a 
sheep  upon  the  altar  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  Lord,  and  their 
fruit  offerings  and  their  drink  offerings  he  placed  upon 
the  altar  together  with  frankincense.     2.  And  the  Lord 

'  Cf.  note  on  Chap.  vi.  15.  '  Gen.  xvi.  16. 


THE  r.OOK  OF  JUBILEES.  49 

appeared  to  Abram  and  said  to  him :  "  I  am  the  omnipo- 
tent God ;  be  pleasing  to  me  and  be  perfect,  and  I  will 
establish  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  will 
increase  thee  exceedingly."  3.  And  Abram  fell  down  on 
his  face.  4.  And  the  Lord  spoke  to  him  and  said:  "  Behold 
my  ordinance  is  with  thee,  and  I  will  make  thee  the  father 
of  many  nations,  and  thy  name  shall  no  longer  be  called 
Abram,  and  thy  name  henceforth  and  to  eternity  shall  be 
Abraham,  for  I  will  make  thee  a  father  of  many  nations, 
and  I  will  make  thee  exceedingly  great,  and  will  cause 
nations  and  kings  to  proceed  from  thee.  5.  And  1  will 
establish  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee  and  between 
thy  seed  after  thee  in  their  generations,  as  an  ordinance 
of  eternity',  that  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed 
after  thee  in  their  generations,  [and  I  will  giv;  thee]  the 
land  where  thou  art  a  stranger,  the  land  of  Canaan,  that 
thou  shalt  be  ruler  over  it  to  eternity,  and  I  will  be  their 
God."  6.  And  the  Lord  said  to  Abraham  :  "And  thou, 
preserve  my  covenant,  thou  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  and 
circumcise  all  your  foreskins,  and  let  it  be  a  sign  of  my 
ordinance  unto  eternity  between  me  and  thee  and  for  thy 
descendants.  7.  On  the  eighth  day  ye  shall  circumcise 
all  the  males  in  your  generation,  the  members  of  the 
household,  and  him  whom  ye  have  bought  with  gold  from 
all  the  sons  of  the  strangers  whom  ye  have  as  your  prop- 
erty, who  are  not  of  thy  seed, — they  shall  circumcise  the 
children  of  the  household,  and  whomsoever  ye  have 
bought  shall  be  circumcised.  8.  And  my  covenant  shall 
be  on  your  fiesh  as  an  eternal  ordinance;  and  whosoever 
is  not  circumcised,  all  of  thy  males  the  flesh  of  whose 
foreskin  is  not  circumcised  on  the  eighth  day,  his  soul 
shall  be  rooted  out  of  his  generation,  for  he  has  over- 
thrown my  covenant."  9.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Abra- 
ham :  "  Sara,  thy  wife,  shall  no  longer  be  called  bv  her 
name  Sara,  for  Sarah  shall  be  her  name;'    for  I  will  bless 

'   The  actual  change   made,  according   to   the    Kthiopic,  is  from   Sora  to 
SS,r&,  which  is  the  same  as  made  in  the  best  MSS.  of  the  Ethiopic  Bible  in 


50  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

and  give  to  thee  a  son  from  her,  and  I  will  bless  him  and 
he  will  become  a  people,  and  kings  and  nations  shall  pro- 
ceed from  him."  lo.  And  Abraham  fell  upon  his  face  and 
rejoiced,  and  he  said  in  his  heart:  "Should  there  be  born 
a  son  to  one  of  a  hundred  years,  and  shall  Sarah,  who  is 
ninety,  yet  bring  forth!"  ii.  And  Abraham  said  to  the 
Lord:  "O  that  Ishmael  might  live  before  thee!"  12. 
And  the  Lord  said :  "  Yea,  and  Sarah  also  shall  bear  thee  a 
son,  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Isaac,  and  I  will  establish 
my  eternal  covenant  with  him  and  with  his  seed  after  him. 
13.  And  also  in  reference  to  Ishmael  have  I  heard  thee, 
and,  behold,  I  will  bless  him,  and  I  will  make  him  great 
and  will  increase  him  exceedingly,  and  twelve  princes  he 
will  beget,  and  I  will  make  him  a  great  nation ;  but  I  will 
establish  my  covenant  with  Isaac,  whom  Sarah  will  bear 
for  thee,  in  these  days,  in  the  second  year."  14.  And 
having  ended  speaking  with  him,  the  Lord  ascended  from 
over  above  Abraham.  15.  And  Abraham  did  as  the  Lord 
had  said  to  him,  and  took  Ishmael  his  son,  and  all  the 
members  of  his  household,  and  those  whom  he  had  bought 
with  gold,  all  the  males  that  were  in  his  house,  and  cir- 
cumcised the  flesh  of  their  sexual  member.  16.  And  at 
the  time  of  these  days  x\braham  was  circumcised,  and  all 
the  men  of  his  house  and  all  whom  he  had  bought  with 
gold  from  among  the  sons  of  the  strangers  were  circum- 
cised with  him.  17.  And  this  is  the  law  for  all  the  gene- 
rations of  eternity,  with  no  change  of  days  and  no  devia- 
tion of  day  from  the  eighth  day,  for  it  is  an  eternal  ordi- 
nance, ordained  and  written  in  the  tablets  of  heaven.  18. 
And  every  one  that  is  born,  the  flesh  of  whose  member  is 
not  circumcised  upon  the  eighth  day,  is  not  of  the  children 
of  the  covenant  which  the  Lord  made  with  Abraham,  but 
is  of  the  children  of  destruction;  and  he  has  no  sign  upon 

Gen.  xvii.  15.  Keally,  throughout  the  text,  before  this,  the  Book  of  Jubi- 
lees has  been  using  the  word  Sora,  for  which  now  Sara  is  employed.  In 
P'thiopic  this  involves  no  change  in  the  meaning  of  the  name.  The  J,.\.\'. 
changes  from  !'//'«  to  "La'plxi. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  51 

him  that  he  is  the  Lord's,  but  he  is  for  destruction  and 
slaying-  from  the  earth  and  for  rooting  out  of  the  earth  ; 
for  he  has  broken  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  our  God.  19. 
For  all  the  angels  of  the  face  and  all  the  angels  of  glorifi- 
cation were  thus  created  from  the  day  of  their  creation ; ' 
and  he  looked  upon  the  angels  of  glorification,  and  he 
sanctified  Israel  that  they  should  be  with  him  and  with 
his  holy  angels.  20.  And  thou  command  the  children  of 
Israel  and  let  them  observe  the  sign  of  this  covenant,  and 
for  their  generations  as  an  eternal  ordinance  that  they  be 
not  rooted  out  of  the  land.  21.  For  it  is  ordained  as  a 
command  of  the  covenant  that  they  should  observe  it 
forever  among  all  the  children  of  Israel.  22.  For  Ishmael 
and  his  sons  and  his  brothers  and  Esau  the  Lord  did  not 
permit  to  approach  him  and  did  not  choose  them,  for  the 
sons  of  Abraham  are  those  he  acknowledged,  and  he  chose 
Israel  to  be  his  people.  23.  And  he  sanctified  it  and  col- 
lected it  from  among  all  the  children  of  men,  for  there 
are  many  nations  and  many  peoples,  and  all  are  his,  and 
over  all  has  he  appointed  spirits  to  rule,  that  they  should 
lead  them  astray  from  him,  but  over  Israel  he  did  not 
appoint  any  ruler,  neither  an  angel  nor  a  spirit,  but  he 
alone  is  th  ;ir  ruler,  and  he  preserves  them,  and  he  con- 
tends for  them  against  the  hands  of  his  angels  and  his 
spirits  and  all;  and  they  shall  keep  all  his  command- 
ments, and  he  will  bless  them,  and  they  shall  be  his,  and  he 
will  be  theirs,  from  now  on  and  to  eternity.  24.  And  from 
now  on  I  will  announce  to  you  that  the  children  of  Israel 
will  break  faith  with  this  ordinance,  and  will  not  circum- 
cise their  sons  according  to  this  whole  law,  for  they  will 
omit  this  circumcision  of  the  children  on  the  flesh  of  their 
circumcision,  and  they  all,  the  sons  of  Belial,  will  leave 
their  children  without  circumcision  as  they  were  born. 
25.  And  the  wrath  upon  the  children  of  Israel  will  be 
great  from  the  Lord,  for  they  have  deserted  his  covenant. 

'   The  angels  even  are  circumcised,  or  rather  created  in  that  condition. 
One  of  the  MSS.  upon  which  D.  bases  his  Ethiopia  text  omits  this  sentence. 


52  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

and  have  departed  from  his  word,  and  enrage  him  and 
blaspheme  him,  as  they  do  not  observe  this  ordinance 
according  to  this  sign,  for  they  make  their  members  like 
the  Gentiles  for  being  torn  and  rooted  out  of  the  land. 
And  no  longer  is  there  forgiveness  or  pardon  for  them 
that  all  their  sin  may  be  forgiven  and  pardoned  for  this 
error  to  eternity. 

Chap.  XVI.  i.  And  at  the  new  moon  of  the  fourth 
month  we  appeared  to  Abraham  at  the  oak  of  MamrS, 
and  we  conversed  with  him,  and  we  announced  to  him 
that  a  son  would  be  given  him  from  Sarah  his  wife.  2. 
And  Sarah  laughed,  for  she  heard  that  we  spoke  these 
words  with  Abraham  ;  and  we  admonished  her,  and  she 
became  afraid  and  denied  that  she  had  laughed  on  account 
of  the  words.  3.  And  we  told  her  the  name  of  her  son 
as  it  is  written  on  the  tablets  of  heaven,  namely,  Isaac,  as 
his  name.  4.  And  when  we  returned  to  her  in  a  fixed 
time  then  she  was  pregnant  with  a  son.  5.  And  in  this 
month  the  Lord  carried  out  the  judgments  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  and  Sebrfiem  and  all  the  circuit  of  the  Jordan, 
and  burnt  them  with  fire  and  brimst;)ne,  and  demolished 
them  unto  the  present  day,  according  to  what  we  have 
made  known  to  thee  concerning  all  their  actions,  that  they 
were  terrible  and  very  sinful  and  they  defiled  themselves 
and  committed  fornication  and  uncleanness  over  the  earth. 
6.  And  accordingly  the  Lord  inflicted  judgment  upon  all 
the  places  b}'  the  hand  of  his  servants,  according  to  the 
uncleanness  of  Sodom,  according  to  the  judgment  of 
Sodom.  7.  But  Lot  we  saved,  for  the  Lord  reniembered 
Abraham,  and  led  him  out  of  the  destruction.  8.  And  he 
and  his  daughters  committed  sin  on  the  earth,  such  as  had 
not  been  from  the  days  of  Adam  until  now,  for  the  man 
lay  with  his  daughters.  9.  And,  behold,  it  is  commanded 
and  engraven  concerning  all  his  seed  on  the  tablets  of 
heaven,  that  they  should  tear  them  out  and  root  them  out 
and  judge  them  according  to  the  judgment  of  Sodom, 
and  that  no  seed  should   be  left  this  man  on  the  earth  in 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  53 

the  day  of  judgment.     lo.  And  in  this  month   Abraham 
migrated   from    Hebron,  and   dwelt  between   Kades  and 
Shur  in  the  mountains  of  Geraron.    1 1.  And  in  the  middle 
of  the  fifth  month  he  migrated   from  there  and   dwelt  at 
the  well  of  the  oath.'      And   in   the   middle   of  the  sixth 
month   the  Lord  visited  Sarah,  and  did  to  her  as  he  had 
said  to  her,  and   she  conceived  and   bore  a  son.     And  in 
the  third  month,  in  the  middle  of  the  month,  in  the  days 
which  the  Lord  had  said  to  Abraham,  on  the  festival  of 
the  first  harvest,  Isaac  was  born  ;  and  Abraham  circum- 
cised his  son  on  the  eighth  day :  he  was  the  first  one  cir- 
cumcised in  the  covenant  as  it  was  ordained  forever.      12. 
And  in  the  sixth  year,  in  this  month,  of  the  fourth  week, 
we  came  to   Abraham  to  the  well  of  the  oath,  and  we 
appeared  to  him  as  we  had  told   Sarah,  that  we  would 
come  to  her,  but  she  became  pregnant  with  a  son,  and  we 
returned  in  the  seventh  month  and  found  Sarah  pregnant 
before  us,  and  we  blessed  her  and  told  her  all  things  that 
had  been  commanded  us  concerning  him  [Abraham]  that 
he  should  not  die  until  six  sons  had  been  born  to  him, and 
that  he  would  see  them  before  he  should  die ;  but  that  in 
Isaac  his  name  and  seed  should  be  called.     13.  And  all  the 
seed  of  his  [other]  sons  will  become  Gentiles  and  will  be 
numbered   with  the  Gentiles;  but  from  the  sons  of  Isaac 
one  shall  become  a  holy  seed  and  shall  not  be  numbered 
among  the  Gentiles.     14.  For  he  shall  become  the  portion 
of  the  Most  High,  and  among  those  of  whom  God  is  ruler 
will  be  his  abode  and  all  his  seed,  that  it  become  a  seed  of 
the  Lord,  a  nation  of  inheritance  among  all  the  nations, 
and  that  it  may  be  a  kingdom  and  a  priesthood  and  a  holy 
nation.     15.  And  we  went  our  way,  and  we  announced  to 
Sarah  all  that  we  had  told  him ;  and  these  two  rejoiced 
with  an  exceeding  great  joy.   16.  And  he  built  there  an  altar 
to  the  Lord  who  had  saved  him  and  had  filled  him  with 
joy  in  the  land  of  his  pilgrimage,  and  he  celebrated  a  fes- 
tival of  great  joy  in  this  month,  seven  days,  at  the  altar 

'  I.  e.,  Beer-Sheba. 


54  THE  BOOK  OF  JURILEES. 

which  he  had  built  at  the  fountain  of  the  oath ;  and  he 
built  tents  for  himself  and  his  servants  on  this  festiv^al,  and 
he  was  the  first  one  to  celebrate  the  festiv^al  of  tabernacles 
on  the  earth.  17.  And  in  these  seven  days  Abraham 
would  bring  every  single  day  upon  the  altar  a  burnt  offer- 
ing to  the  Lord,  two  oxen,  seven  sheep,  one  young  goat, 
on  account  of  his  sins  that  thereby  these  might  be  for- 
given him  and  his  seed,  and  as  an  offering  of  salvaticjn 
seven  rams,  seven  goats,  and  their  fruit  offering  and  their 
drink  offering;  over  all  the  fat  thereof  he  burnt  incense 
upon  the  altar  as  a  sacrifice  chosen  to  the  Lord  as  a  sweet 
savor.  18.  At  mornings  and  evenings  he  burnt  frankin- 
cense, galbanum,  stakle  and  wood  and  myrrh  and  spice 
and  costum ;  all  these  seven  he  brought,  united  with  each 
other  in  equal  parts  and  clean.  19.  And  thus  he  cele- 
brated his  festival  seven  days,  rejoicing  with  his  whole 
heart  and  his  whole  soul,  he  and  all  those  that  were  in  his 
house;  and  there  was  not  any  stranger  with  him  nor  any 
bastard.  20.  And  he  blessed  his  Creator  who  had  created 
him  in  his  generation,  for  according  to  his  pleasure  did  he 
create  him ;  for  he  knew  and  observed  that  from  him 
would  come  the  plant  of  righteousness  for  the  generations 
of  eternity,  and  that  from  him  should  also  come  the  holy 
seed,  like  him  who  had  made  all  things.'  21.  And  he 
blessed  his  Creator,  and  he  was  glad,  and  he  called  the 
name  of  this  festival  the  festival  of  the  Lord  with  a  joy 
acceptable  to  the  Most  High  God.  22.  And  we  blessed 
him  forever  and  all  his  seed  after  him  in  all  the  genera- 
tions of  the  world  on  this  earth,  because  he  celebrated 
this  festival  in  its  house  according  to  the  testimony  of  the 
tablets  of  heaven.  23.  On  this  account  it  is  ordained  in 
the  tablets  of  heaven  concerning  Israel  that  they  shall 
celebrate  the  festival  of  the  tabernacles  seven  (la3S  in  joy, 
in  the  seventh  month,  that  it  l)c  accepted  before  the  Lord 
as  an  eternal  law  in  the  gciiciations  of  all   the  \cars.     24. 

'   This   is  one   of  ih'j   passages    in   this   book   which    can    be   interpreted 
messianically. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  55 

And  to  this  there  is  no  limit  of  days,  but  it  is  ordained 
over  Israel  as  a  festival  that  they  shall  observe  it,  and 
shall  dwell  in  tents,  and  shall  place  wreaths  upon  their 
heads,  and  they  shall  take  a  willow  branch  with  foliage 
from  the  brook.  25.  And  Abraham  took  the  heart  of  the 
palm  and  good  fruit  of  trees,  and  every  day  and  day  he 
would  go  around  the  altar  with  the  branches,  seven  times 
a  day,  and  in  the  morning  he  praised  and  thanked  his 
God  for  all  things  in  joy. 

Chap.  XVII.  i.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the  fifth  week 
Isaac  was  weaned,  in  this  jubilee,  and  Abraham  made  a 
great  feast  in  the  third  month  on  the  day  his  son  Isaac 
was  weaned.  2.  And  Ishmael,  the  son  of  the  Egyptian 
Hagar,  was  before  the  face  of  his  father  in  this  place;  and 
Abraham  rejoiced  and  blessed  the  Lord,  because  that  he 
could  see  sons  to  himself  and  had  not  died  without  sons. 
3.  And  he  remembered  the  words  which  he  had  spoken 
to  him  on  the  day  that  Lot  separated  from  him ;  and  he 
rejoiced,  because  the  Lord  had  given  him  seed  on  the 
earth  to  inherit  the  land  ;  and  he  blessed  with  his  whole 
mouth  the  Creator  of  all  things.  4.  And  when  Sarah 
saw  that  Ishmael  was  playing  and  growing,  and  that  Abra- 
ham was  rejoicing  exceedingly,  she  became  jealous  of  Ish- 
mael, and  she  said  to  Abraham :  "  Drive  away  this  slave 
and  her  son,  for  the  son  of  this  one  shall  not  inherit  with 
my  son  Isaac."  5.  And  these  words  were  grievous  in  the 
eyes  of  Abraham,  on  account  of  his  maid,  and  on  account 
of  his  son,  that  he  should  drive  them  away  from  him.  6. 
And  the  Lord  said  to  Abraham:  "Let  it  not  be  grievous 
in  thy  eyes  concerning  the  child,  and  concerning  the  slave; 
all  that  Sarah  says  to  thee,  hear  her  words  and  do  them, 
for  in  Isaac  shall  thy  name  and  thy  seed  be  called  for  thee. 
7.  But  the  son  of  this  [slave]  I  will  make  into  a  great 
nation,  for  he  is  of  thy  seed.  8.  And  Abraham  arose  early 
in  the  morning  and  took  bread  and  a  bag  of  water  and  put 
them  upon  the  shoulders  of  Hagar  and  of  the  boy  and 
sent  them  away.     9.  And  she  went  wandering  about  in  the 


56  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

desert  Beer-Sheba  ;  and  the  water  was  finished  from  the  bag, 
and  the  boy  was  thirsty,  and  was  not  able  to  walk,  and  he 
fell  down.  lo.  And  his  mother  took  him,  and  going, 
threw  him  under  an  olive  tree,  and  she  went  and  sat  down 
opposite  him,  the  distance  of  an  arrow  shot,  saying :  "  I 
cannot  see  the  death  of  my  child  ;  "  and  she  sat  weeping. 

1 1.  And  an  angel  of  God,  one  of  the  holy  ones,  said  to  her: 
"Why  dost  thou  weep,  Hagar?  arising,  take  the  boy,  and 
lead  him  by  the  hand,  for  the  Lord  has  heard  thy  voice." 

12.  And  she  looked  at  the  bag  and  opened  her  eyes  and 
saw  a  well  of  water,  and  she  went  and  filled  the  bag  with 
water  and  gave  her  boy  to  drink,  and  she  arose  and  went 
toward  the  desert  of  Paran.  13.  And  the  boy  grew  and 
became  a  horseman,  and  the  Lord  was  with  him.  14.  And 
his  mother  took  for  him  a  wife  from  among  the  daughters 
of  Egypt,  and  she  bore  him  a  son,  and  he  called  his  name 
Nabemoth,  for  she  said  :  "  The  Lord  was  near  to  me  when 
I  cried  out  to  him."  15.  And  it  happened  in  the  seventh 
week,  in  the  first  year  thereof,  in  the  first  month  of  this 
jubilee,  on  the  twelfth  of  this  month,  there  was  a  word  in 
the  heavens  concerning  Abraham,  that  he  was  a  believer 
in  all  that  the  Lord  told  him,  and  that  he  loved  him, 
because  in  all  temptations  he  was  faithful.  16.  And  the 
prince  Mastema  approached  and  said  before  God:  "Be- 
hold Abraham  loves  Isaac  his  son,  and  esteems  him  more 
than  all  other  things  ;  say  that  he  should  bring  him  as  a 
burnt  offering  on  the  altar  and  thou  wilt  see  if  he  will  do 
this  word,  and  thou  wilt  know  if  he  is  a  believer  in  every- 
thing with  which  thou  triest  him."  17.  And  the  Lord 
knew  that  Abraham  was  a  believer  in  all  trials  which  he 
spoke  to  him  ;  for  he  had  tried  him  in  his  country,  and  in 
the  strange  land,  and  had  tried  him  with  the  wealth  of 
kings,  and  had  tried  him  again  with  his  wife  in  that  she 
was  torn  from  him,  and  with  the  circumcision,  and  had 
tried  him  with  Ishmael  and  Hagar  his  maid,  when  he  sent 
them  away,  and  in  all  in  which  he  had  tried  him  he  was 
found  faithful,  and  his  soul  did  not  become  impatient,  nor 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  57 

did  he  hesitate  to  do  it,  for  he  was  faithful  and  a  lover  of 
God.- 

Chap.  XVIII.  i.  And  the  Lord  said  to  Abraham,"Abra- 
ham."  And  he  said  to  him,  "  Behold,  O  Lord,  here  I  am." 
2.  And  he  said  to  him :  "  Take  thy  son  Isaac  whom  thou 
lovest,  and  go  into  the  high  land,  and  take  him  upon  one 
of  the  hills  which  I  will  show  thee."  3.  And  he  arose  in 
the  morning  from  there  and  saddled  his  ass,  and  took  two 
young  men  with  him,  and  Isaac  his  son,  and  split  the  wood 
for  a  sacrifice,  and  he  came  to  the  place  on  the  third  day, 
and  saw  the  place  from  afar.  4.  And  he  came  to  a  well  of 
water,  and  he  said  to  the  3'oung  men  :  "  Remain  here  with 
the  ass,  and  I  and  the  boy  will  go  on  and  will  worship, 
and  after  worshipping  will  return  to  you."  5.  And  he 
took  the  wood  for  the  sacrifice  and  put  it  upon  the  shoul- 
ders of  his  son  Isaac  and  he  took  in  his  hands  the  fire  and 
the  knife,  and  the  two  went  together  to  that  place.  6. 
And  Isaac  said  to  his  father :  "  My  father."  7.  And  he 
said  to  him :  "  Behold,  here  I  am,  my  son."  8.  [And  he 
said]  "  Behold  here  is  the  fire,  and  the  knife,  and  the  wood; 
but  where,  my  father,  is  the  sheep  for  the  sacrifice?"  9. 
And  he  said:  "The  Lord  will  show  me  the  sheep  for  the 
sacrifice,  my  son."  10.  And  he  came  to  the  place  of  the 
hill  of  the  Lord,  and  he  built  an  altar  and  laid  the  wood 
upon  the  altar,  and  tied  Isaac  his  son  and  placed  him  upon 
the  wood  over  the  altar,  and  he  stretched  out  his  hands 
to  take  the  knife  to  sacrifice  Isaac.  11.  And  I  stood 
before  him  [God]  and  before  the  prince  Mastema,  and  the 
Lord  said  :  "  Tell  him  not  to  lay  his  hand  upon  the  boy 
and  to  do  him  no  harm ;  for  I  know  that  he  fears  the 
Lord."  12.  And  the  Lord  called  to  him  from  heaven  and 
said  to  him:  "Abraham  !  Abraham  !  "  and  he  was  fright- 
ened and  said  :  "  Behold,  here  I  am."  13.  And  he  said  to 
him  :  "  Do  not  lay  thy  hands  upon  the  boy,  and  do  him  no 

'  This  list  of  temptations  appears  elsewhere,  although  with  variation  of 
figures,  in  similar  writings.  The  Targum  Jerusal.  to  Clen.  xxii.  i  has  the 
same  number. 

*5 


58  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

harm,  for  now  I  know  that  thou  fearest  the  Lord,  and 
hast  not  spared  from  me  thy  first-born  son."  14  And  the 
prince  Mastema  was  confounded  ;  and  Abraham  lifted  up 
his  eyes  and  looked,  and  behold  a  ram  held  fast  with  his 
horns.  15.  And  Abraham  went  and  took  the  ram  and 
brought  him  as  a  sacrifice  in  the  place  of  his  son  Isaac. 
16.  And  Abraham  called  this  place  "The  Lord  seeth," 
so  that  it  is  said  "  The  Lord  saw  it "  for  Mount  Zion.  17. 
And  the  Lord  called  Abraham  by  name  a  second  time 
from  heaven  as  he  had  appeared  to  us  that  we  should 
speak  to  him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  18.  And  he  said  : 
"  By  my  head,  I  swear,  saith  the  Lord,  because  thou 
hast  done  this  thing  and  hast  not  spared  from  me  thy  first- 
born son  whom  thou  lovest,  therefore  I  will  surely  bless  thee 
and  will  surely  increase  thy  head  like  the  stars  of  heaven 
and  like  the  sand  of  the  shore  of  the  sea.  19.  And  thy 
seed  shall  inherit  the  cities  of  their  enemy,  and  in  thy  seed 
shall  be  blessed  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  for  this  that 
thou  hast  listened  to  my  voice  and  hast  shown  unto  all 
that  thou  art  faithful  unto  me  in  all  that  1  say  to  thee  ;  go 
in  peace."  20.  And  Abraham  went  to  his  young  men,  and 
they  arose  and  went  together  to  Beer-Sheba,  and  Abraham 
dwelt  near  the  well  of  the  oath  ;  and  he  celebrated  this 
festival  in  all  the  years,  seven  days  in  joy,  and  called  it 
"  the  festival  of  the  Lord,"  according  to  the  seven, days  in 
which  he  had  gone  and  returned  in  peace.  21.  And  thus 
it  is,  and  it  is  engraven  and  written  in  the  tablets  of  heaven 
concerning  Israel  and  its  seed  to  keep  this  festival  seven 
days  in  joy. 

Chap.  XIX.  i.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the  first  week 
in  the  forty-second  jubilee  Abraham  returned  and  dwelt 
opposite  Hebron,  that  is,  Karjatarbok,  two  weeks  of  years. 
2.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the  third  week  of  this  jubilee 
the  days  of  the  life  of  Sarah  were  completed,  and  she  died 
in  Hebron.  5.  And  Abraham  went  to  mourn  over  and  to 
bury  her;  and  we  tried  him  if  his  s])irit  was  ])atient  and 
if   he  was  impatient  in   the  words  of   his   mouth,  and  he 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  59 

was  found  patient  in  this,  and  was  not  shaken.  4.  For  in 
the  patience  of  his  soul  he  conversed  with  the  children  of 
Keti  that  they  should  give  him  a  place  that  he  could  bury 
his  body  in  it ;  and  the  Lord  gave  him  grace  before  all 
who  saw  him,  and  he  asked  with  modesty  of  heart  of  the 
children  of  Keti,  and  they  gave  him  the  land  of  the  double 
cave  opposite  Mamre,  which  is  Hebron,  for  forty  pieces 
of  silver.  5.  But  they  begged  him,  saying:  "We  will 
give  it  to  thee  ;  "  and  he  did  not  take  anything  from  them 
for  nothing,  for  he  gave  the  price  for  the  place,  perfect 
silver;  and  he  bowed  down  before  them  twice,  and  then 
he  buried  the  body  in  the  double  cave.  6.  And  all  the 
days  of  the  life  of  Sarah  were  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  years,  and  this  is  two  jubilees  and  four  weeks  and 
one  )^ear ;  those  are  the  days  of  the  3'ears  of  the  life  of 
Sarah.  And  this  was  the  tenth  trial  with  which  Abraham 
was  tempted,  and  he  was  found  faithful  and  of  patient 
sjiirit.  8.  And  he  did  not  speak  a  single  word  concerning 
that  God  had  said  that  he  would  give  him  and  his  seed 
after  him  this  land  when  he  petitioned  that  he  might  bur)^ 
his  body  there,  for  he  was  found  faithful  and  patient  and 
was  written  down  as  a  friend  of  the  Lord  in  the  tablets  of 
heaven.  9.  And  in  the  fourth  year  thereof  he  took  a  wife 
for  Isaac  his  son,  and  her  name  was  Rebecca,  the  daughter 
of  Betuel,  the  son  of  Nahor,  the  brother  of  Abraham.  10. 
And  Abraham  took  to  himself  a  third  wife,  and  her  name 
was  Keturah,  from  among  the  sons  of  his  household,  for 
Hagar  had  died  before  Sarah.  11.  And  she  bore  him  six- 
sons,  Zambari,  and  Joksan,  and  Madai,  and  Ejazbok,  and 
Sachai  in  the  second  week  of  years.'  12.  And  in  the  sixth 
week,  in  the  second  year,  Rebecca  bore  to  Isaac  two  sons, 
Jacob  and  Esau  :  but  Jacob  was  pious  and  righteous  and 
Esau  was  a  rough  man,  a  tiller  of  the  field  and  hairy,  but 
Jacob  dwelt  within  tents.     13.  And  the  youths  grew,  and 

'  Only  five  names  are  ji;iven  in  the  Ethiopic  text.  The  similarity  of  the 
names  Medan  and  Midian  (Gen.  -xxv.  2)  has  manifestly  led  to  the  omission 
of  one. 


6o  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

Jacob  learned  writing  ;  but  Esau  did  not  learn  it,  for  he 
was  a  man  of  the  field  and  a  hunter,  and  learned  war  and 
all  rough  deeds.  14.  But  Abraham  loved  Jacob,  but  Isaac 
loved  Esau.  15.  And  Abraham  saw  the  deeds  of  Esau, 
and  he  knew  that  his  name  and  seed  should  be  called  for 
him  in  Jacob,  and  he  called  Rebecca,  and  commanded  her 
concerning  Jacob,  for  he  saw  that  she  too  loved  Jacob 
much  more  than  Esau.  16.  And  he  said  to  her:  "My 
daughter,  watch  my  son  Jacob,  for  he  shall  be  in  my  stead 
upon  the  earth  as  a  blessing  among  the  sons  of  men  and 
to  all  the  seed  of  Shem,and  for  an  honor,  and  I  know  that 
the  Lord  has  chosen  him  for  himself  as  a  j)e()ple  secluded 
from  all  those  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  behold, 
Isaac,  my  son,  loves  Esau  more  than  Jacob,  and  1  see  that 
thou  lovest  righteousness  for  Jacob  ;  add  yet  to  do  some- 
thing good  for  him  and  let  thine  eyes  be  over  him  as  the 
beloved,  for  he  shall  be  to  me  a  blessing  over  tiie  earth, 
from  now  on  and  to  all  the  generations  of  the  earth.  17. 
Let  th}'  hands  be  strong,  and  thou  shaft  rejoice  in  th}-  son 
Jacob,  for  him  do  1  love  exceedingly  above  all  my  child- 
ren ;  for  to  eternity  the  Lord  will  be  blessed  in  him,  and 
his  seed  shall  fill  all  the  land.  18.  If  a  man  can  number 
the  dust  of  the  earth,  then  his  seed  will  be  numbered. 
19.  And  all  the  blessings  with  which  the  Lord  has  blessed 
me  and  my  seed  shall  be  to  Jacob  and  his  seed  all  the 
days,  and  in  his  seed  shall  my  name  be  blessed  and  the 
names  of  mv  fathers,  Shem,  and  Noah,  and  Enoch,  and 
Mahaalel,  and  Seth,  and  xAdam  ;  and  these  will  serve  to  a 
founding  oi  heaven  and  a  strengthening  of  the  earth  and 
for  a  removal  of  all  the  stars  upon  the  firmament."  '  20. 
And  he  called  Jacob  before  the  eyes  of  his  mother  Rebecca, 
and  he  kissed  him,  and  blessed  him,  and  said  to  him  ;  "My 
beloved  son  Jacob,  whom  my  soul  loveth,  may  God  bless 
thee  from  the  firmament  above  and  give  thee  all  the  bless- 
ings with  which  he  blessed  Adam,  and  Enoch,  and  Noah, 

'     This  prf»bat)ly  means  that  a  )?reat  nation  is  to  come  from  jacolj,  refer- 
ring cither  to  the  Israel  of  history  or  to  that  of  the  messianic  period. 


TIIK  ROOK  OF  JUBILEES.  6l 

and  Shem,  and  all  that  he  has  conversed  with  me  and  all 
that  he  has  said  that  he  would  give  me,  may  he  fasten 
these  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed  to  eternity,  according  to  the 
days  of  heaven  over  the  earth.  21.  And  the  spirits  of 
Mastema  shall  not  become  masters  over  thee  and  over  thy 
seed  to  remove  thee  from  the  Lord  who  is  thy  God,  from 
now  on  and  to  eternity.  22-  And  may  the  Lord  God  be 
thy  father,  and  thou  his  first-born  son,  and  his  people  for 
all  days :  go,  my  son,  in  peace  !  "  23.  And  the  two  went 
together  from  Abraham.  24.  And  Rebecca  loved  Jacob 
with  all  her  heart,  and  with  all  her  soul,  exceedinglv  more 
than  Esau ;  and  Isaac  loved  Esau  exceedingly  more  than 
Jacob. 

Chap.  XX.  i  And  in  the  thirty-second  jubilee,  in  the 
first  year  of  the  seventh  week,  Abraham  called  Ishmael 
and  his  twelve  sons,  and  Isaac  and  his  two  sons,  and  the 
six  sons  of  Keturah  and  their  sons.  2.  And  he  commanded 
them  that  they  should  preserve  the  path  of  the  Lord  to 
do  righteousness  and  should  love  each  his  neighbor,  and 
that  they  should  be  thus  in  all  the  wars  that  they  go  into 
against  every  one  that  is  against  them,  and  do  justice  and 
righteousness  over  the  earth,  and  that  they  circumcise  their 
sons  according  to  the  covenant  which  he  had  made  with 
them,  and  that  they  should  not  transgress  neither  to  the 
right  hand  nor  to  the  left  from  all  the  paths  which  the 
Lord  had  commanded  them,  and  that  they  should  preserve 
themselves  from  all  uncleanness,  and  that  we  should  re- 
move from  our  midst  all  uncleanness  and  fornication.  3. 
And  if  any  woman  or  maid  commit  fornication  amongst 
you,  burn  her  with  fire,  and  do  not  commit  fornication 
after  their  eyes  and  hearts  ;  and  that  they  should  not 
take  unto  themselves  wives  from  among  the  daughters  of 
Canaan,  for  the  seed  of  Canaan  shall  be  rooted  out  of  the 
land.  4.  And  he  spoke  to  them  concerning  the  judgment 
of  the  giants  and  the  judgment  of  Sodom,  that  these  had 
been  judged  on  account  of  their  wickedness,  and  on  ac- 
count  of    fornication    and    uncleanness   and    destruction 


62  THE  BO()K  OF  JU15ILEES. 

among  each  other.  5.  "  But  be  on  your  guard  against  all 
fornication  and  uncleanness  and  contamination  of  sin,  so 
that  ye  do  not  make  our  name  a  curse  and  bring  your  lives 
and  vour  sons  to  destruction  by  the  sword  and  ye  become 
accursed  like  Sodom,  and  all  your  remnant  like  the  sons 
of  Gomorrah.  6.  And  I  call  upon  you  as  witnesses,  my 
sons,  love  the  God  of  heaven  and  submit  to  all  his  com- 
mandments, and  do  not  walk  after  their  idols  and  after 
their  uncleanness,  and  do  not  make  molten  gods  for  your- 
selves nor  wooden  ones.  7.  For  they  are  vanit}',  and  have 
no  spirit,  but  they  are  the   work  of  hands,  and  all   who 

depend  upon  them Do  not  worship  them  nor  bow 

down  to  them.  8.  But  worship  ye  the  Most  High  God 
and  bow  down  to  him  ever,  and  hope  upon  his  face  at  all 
times,  and  do  rectitude  and  righteousness  before  him,  that 
he  may  find  pleasure  in  you  and  give  you  his  mercy,  and 
send  down  rain  to  you  morning  and  evening,  and  bless  all 
your  work  which  ye  do  on  the  earth,  and  bless  thy  grain 
and  thy  water,  and  bless  the  seed  of  thy  body,  and  the 
seed  of  thy  land,  and  the  herds  of  thy  oxen,  and  the  herds 
of  thy  sheep.  9.  And  thou  shalt  be  for  a  blessing  over 
the  earth,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  desire  for 
you  and  will  bless  thy  sons  in  my  name  that  they  be 
blessed  as  I  am."  10.  And  he  gave  to  Ishmacl  his  son  and 
to  the  sons  of  Keturah  a  gift  and  sent  them  away  from 
Isaac  his  son.  10.  And  Ishmael  and  his  sons  and  the  sons 
of  Keturah  and  their  sons  went  together  and  dwelt  from 
Pharmon  (Pharan)  to  the  entrance  of  Babylon,  in  all  the 
land  which  faces  towai'd  the  east  opposite  the  desert.  12. 
And  these  mingled  with  each  other,  and  their  name  was 
called  Arabs  and  Ishmaelites. 

Chap.  XXL  i.  And  in  the  sixth  year  of  the  seventh 
week  of  this  jubilee  Abraham  called  Isaac  his  son,  and  his 
father  commanded  him  saying :  "I  am  gray  and  do  not 
know  the  day  of  my  death,  for  I  am  satisfied  in  my  days. 
2.  And  behold,  my  son,  1  am  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  years  old,  and  in  all  the  days  of  my  life   I    have  ever 


THE  15(X)K  OF  JUBILEES.  63 

remembered  the  Lord  and  sought  with  all  my  might  that 
I  might  do  the  will  of  my  God,  and  that  I  might  walk 
aright  in  all  his  paths.  3.  My  soul  hated  idols  so  that  I 
could  be  on  my  guard  to  do  the  will  of  him  that  created 
me,  for  he  is  the  living  God,  and  he  is  holy,  and  he  is  faith- 
ful, and  he  is  just  above  all,  and  no  evil  is  with  him  to  have 
regard  for  persons  and  to  take  presents,  for  he  is  a  god  of 
righteousness,  and  a  doer  of  judgment  over  all  who  trans- 
gress his  commandments,  and  all  that  violate  his  covenant. 
4.  And  thou,  my  son,  observe  his  commandments  and  his 
ordinance  and  his  judgment,  and  walk  not  after  the  un- 
clean and  after  the  wooden  images  and  after  the  molten 
ones.  5.  And  do  not  eat  any  blood  of  an  animal,  or  of  a 
beast,  or  of  any  bird  that  flies  in  the  heavens.  6.  And  if 
thou  slaughterest,  slaughter  as  a  pure  sacrifice  that  is 
acceptable;  slaughter  it  and  pour  out  its  blood  upon  the 
altar  and  all  the  fat  of  the  sacrifice  place  upon  the  altar 
with  fiour  and  fruit  offering,  mixed  with  oil  togfether  with 
drink  offering  ;  place  all  this  together  upon  the  altar  as  a 
sacrifice  of  sweet  savor  before  the  Lord.  7.  Like  the  fat 
of  the  thank  offering  lay  them  upon  the  fire,  like  the  fat  of 
the  belly,  and  all  the  fat  upon  the  entrails,  and  the  two  kid- 
neys and  all  the  fat  that  is  upon  them,  and  upon  the  thigh 
pieces,  and  the  liver,  together  with  the  kidneys  wrapped 
up  in  them  ;  bring  this  all  as  a  sweet  savor  which  will  be 
acceptable  before  the  Lord  together  with  fruit  and  drink 
offerings,  thou  shalt  bring  them  all  together  for  a  sweet 
savor  as  the  bread  of  the  burnt  offering  for  the  Lord.  7. 
And  the  meat  eat  on  that  day  and  on  the  second  day,  and 
do  not  let  the  sun  go  down  on  it  on  the  second  day  until 
it  is  eaten  and  nothing  shall  be  leftover  for  the  third  day, 
for  it  is  not  acceptable  nor  chosen,  and  it  shall  no  longer 
be  eaten,  and  all  who  eat  bring  sin  upon  themselves.  8.  For 
thus  have  I  found  it  written  in  the  books  of  my  forefathers, 
in  the  words  of  Enoch  and  in  the  words  of  Noah.  9.  And 
upon  all  thy  sacrifices  thou  shalt  put  salt,  and  thou  shalt 
not  violate  the  covenant  of  salt  in  all  thy  sacrifices  before 


64  THE  HOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

the  Lord.  10.  And  watch  all  the  wood  of  the  sacrifices, 
that  thou  dost  not  bring  sacrificing  wood  besides  the 
following:  cypress,  fir,  and  alnKjnd,  and  pine,  and  fir, 
and  cedar,  and  savin,  and  citron,  and  olive,  and  myrrh, 
and  balsam.'  11.  Of  these  kinds  of  wood  lay  upon  the 
altar,  under  the  sacrifice,  having  examined  its  appearance, 
and  do  not  place  any  broken  or  dark  wood  ;  hard  wood 
and  unbroken,  perfect,  and  nearly  grown,  and  not  old,  tor 
its  savor  is  gone  and  there  is  no  more  savor  in  it,  as  at 
first.  12.  Besides  these  kinds  of  wood  thou  shalt  place  no 
other  kinds,  for  its  savor  has  departed,  and  thou  shalt  send 
up  the  smell  of  its  savor  to  heaven.  13.  Observe  this 
commandment  and  do  it,  my  son,  that  thou  mayest  be 
right  in  all  thy  actions.  14.  And  at  all  times  be  clean  in 
thy  body  and  wash  thyself  with  water,  before  thou  goest 
to  sacrifice  upon  the  altar,  and  wash  thy  hands  and  thy 
feet  before  thou  approachest  the  altar ;  and  when  thou 
art  done  sacrificing,  return  and  wash  thy  hands  and  thy 
feet.  16.  And  let  there  not  appear  upon  any  one  of  you 
any  blood,  nor  upon  your  clothes:  be  on  thy  guard,  my 
son,  guard  thyself  exceedingly  against  blood  ;  bury  it  in 
the  ground.  16.  And  do  not  eat  any  blood  for  it  is  the 
soul,  eat  no  blood  whatever.  17.  And  do  not  receive  any 
present  for  any  blood  of  man  that  it  should  be  spilt  in  vain 
without  judgment;  for  this  blood  which  is  spilt  causes  sin 
upon  the  earth,  and  it  cannot  be  cleansed  of  the  blood 
except  by  blood  being  shed  ;  and  do  not  receive  a  present 
or  any  gift  for  the  blood  of  man ;  blood  for  blood  ;  and  ye 
shall  become  acceptable  before  the  Lord  God  Most  High, 
and  he  will  be  the  protector  of  good,  and  that  thou  may- 
est be  preserved  from  all  evil  and  be  saved  from  all  death. 

18.  I  see,  my  son,  all  the  deeds  of  the  sons  of  men,  that  they 
are  sin  and  evil,  and  all  their  deeds  are  uncleanncss,  and  re- 
belliousand  defiling, and  there  is  no  righteousness  with  them. 

19.  Guard  thyself,  do  not  go  on  their  paths  to  stej)  into  their 
footprints  and  do  not  commit  the  error  of  death   before 

*  Cf.  on  these  names  Dillmann's  Lexicon  .Lthiopico-Latinum. 


THE  r.OOK  OF  JUBILEES.  65 

the  Most  High  God,  lest  he  hide  his  face  from  thee,  and 
return  thee  into  the  hands  of  th}^  transgression  and  root 
thee  out  of  the  land,  and  thy  seed  from  under  heaven,  and 
thy  name  be  destroyed  and  thy  seed  from  all  the  earth. 
20.  Preserve  thyself  from  all  their  deeds  and  from  all 
their  uncleanness,  and  observe  the  observance  of  the  Lord 
Most  High  and  do  his  will  and  do  right  in  all  things.  21. 
And  he  will  bless  thee  in  all  thy  deeds,  and  will  bring 
forth  from  thee  a  plant  of  righteousness  in  all  the  earth, 
in  all  the  generations  of  the  earth.  And  my  name  shall  be 
known,  and  thy  name,  under  heaven,  in  all  the  days.  22. 
Go,  m}'  son,  in  peace.  May  the  Most  High  God,  my  God 
and  thy  God,  strengthen  thee  to  do  his  will,  and  may  he 
bless  all  thy  seed  and  the  descendants  of  thy  seeds  to  the 
generations  of  eternity,  with  all  the  blessings  of  righteous- 
ness, that  thou  Tnayest  be  a  blessing  on  all  the  earth."  23. 
And  he  went  out  from  him,  rejoicing  happy. 

Chap.  XXII.  i.  And  it  happened  in  the  first  week  of 
the  forty-third  [fourth]  jubilee,  in  the  second  year,  that  is 
the  year  in  which  x\braham  died,  Isaac  and  Ishmael  came 
from  the  fountain  of  the  oath  that  they  might  celebrate 
the  festival  of  the  seven  days,  that  is,  the  festival  of  the 
first-fruits  of  the  harvest,  with  Abraham,  their  father;  and 
Abraham  rejoiced  because  his  two  sons  came  to  him.  2. 
For' Isaac  had  much  possessions  in  Beer-Sheba,  and  Isaac 
went  out  to  see  his  possessions  and  returned  to  his  father. 
3.  And  in  these  days  Ishmael  came  to  see  his  father,  and 
they  all  came  together,  and  Isaac  offered  up  a  sacrifice  as 
a  burnt  offering,  and  brought  it  upon  the  altar  which  his 
father  had  made  at  Hebron.  4.  And  he  offered  a  thank 
offering  and  made  a  feast  of  joy  before  his  brother  Ish- 
mael, and  Rebecca  made  new  cakes  out  of  new  grain,  and 
she  gave  thereof  to  Jacob,  her  best  son,  that  he  should 
bring  to  Abraham,  his  father,  from  the  first-fruits  of 
the  land,  that  he  might  eat  and  bless  the  Creator  of  all 
before  he  died.  5,  And  Isaac,  too,  sent  by  the  hand  of 
Jacob,  who  excelled,  a  thank  offering  to  Abraham,  that  he 


66  TIIK  I!()OK  OF  JUl'.ILKKS. 

should  drink  and  cat.  6.  And  he  ate  and  drank  and 
blessed  the  Most  Hii^h  God,  who  had  created  the  heavens 
and  the  earth,  and  had  made  all  the  fat  of  the  earth  and 
had  given  it  to  the  children  of  men  to  eat  and  to  drink  and 
that  thej  should  bless  their  Creator.  7.  "  And  now  1 
humbly  thank  thee,  mv  Lord,  th.it  thou  hast  shown  to  me 
this  day:  behold,  I  am  one  hundred  and  seventy-hve  years 
old  and  full  of  days,  and  all  the  days  were  peace.  8.  The 
sword  of  the  hater  did  not  overcome  me  in  all  that  thou 
hast  given  me  and  m}^  childrea  all  the  days  of  my  life 
until  the  present  day.  9.  My  God,  thy  grace  be  over  thy 
servant  and  over  the  seed  of  his  sons,  that  he  may  be  to 
thee  a  chosen  nation  and  an  inheritance  from  amongst  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth,  from  now  on  and  to  all  the  days 
of  the  ofenerations  of  th.^  earth  unto  all  eternities."  10. 
And  he  called  Jacob  and  said  to  him :  "  M}^  son  Jacob,  the 
Lord  of  all  bless  thee  and  strengthen  thee  to  do  righteous- 
ness and  his  will  before  him,  and  may  he  choose  thee  and 
thy  seed  that  ye  may  be  a  people  for  his  inheritance, 
according  to  his  will  in  all  the  days.  11.  And  thou,  my 
son  Jacob,  come  hither  and  kiss  me."  12.  And  he  ap- 
proached and  kissed  him,  and  he  said:  "  Blessed  be  Jacob, 
my  son,  and  all  his  children  to  the  Lord  Most  High  in  all 
eternities;  may  the  Lord  give  thee  a  seed  of  righteous- 
ness from  among  thy  sons,  to  sanctify  him  in  the  midst  ol 
all  the  earth;  and  may  all  the  nations  serve  thee  and  bow 
down  to  thy  seed.  13.  Become  powerful  before  men,  as 
thou  rulest  over  all  the  seed  of  the  earth  and  among  the 
seed  of  Seth,  when  thy  path  and  the  i)atli  of  thv  sons  is 
just  for  being  his  holy  nation.  14.  Md\  the  Most  High 
God  give  thee  all  the  blessings  with  which  he  blessed  me 
and  with  which  he  blessed  Noah  and  Adam  ;  may  they 
rest  upon  the  sacred  head  of  thy  seed  to  all  the  genera- 
tions and  to  eternity.  15.  And  may  the  Lord  preserve 
thee  clean  from  all  unclean  defilement,  that  thou  mayest 
be  forgiven  o-f  all  the  sins  which  without  knowledge  thou 
hast   committed,  and   may    he   strengthen   thee  and   bless 


TIIK  1!(K)K  OF  JU15ILEKS.  6/ 

thee,  and  mayest  thou  inherit  the  whole  earth.  i6.  And 
may  he  renew  his  covenant  with  thee,  that  thou  mayest 
be  to  him  a  nation  for  his  inheritance  to  all  eternities,  and 
he  may  be  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed  a  God  in  reality  and  in 
truth  in  all  the  days  of  the  earth.  17.  And  thou,  my  son 
Jacob,  remember  ni}^  words  and  observe  the  command- 
ments of  Abraham,  thy  father  ;  withdraw  from  among  the 
Gentiles  and  do  not  eat  with  them,  and  do  not  according- 
to  their  actions,  and  be  not  their  companion  ;  for  their 
actions  are  unclean  and  all  their  ways  are  defiled  and  their 
sacrifices  an  abomination.  18.  They  sacrifice  to  the  dead, 
and  the  evil  spirits  they  worship,  and  in  the  graves  they 
eat,  and  all  their  doings  are  in  vain  and  for  naught.  19. 
They  have  no  heart  to  think  and  no  eyes  to  see  any  of 
their  actions  and  when  they  err,  saying  to  a  piece  of  wood, 
"  Thou  art  my  God,"  and  to  a  stone,  "  Thou  art  my  Lord 
and  my  saviour,"  and  these  have  no  heart.  20.  And  thou, 
my  son  Jacob,  may  the  Most  High  Lord  aid  thee,  and  the 
God  of  heaven  bless  thee  and  preserve  thee  from  all  their 
uncleanness  and  from  all  their  error.  21.  Be  thou  on  thy 
guard,  my  son  Jacob,  that  thou  takest  not  a  wife  from 
among  all  the  seed  of  the  daughters  of  Canaan,  for  all  its 
seed  is  to  be  rooted  out  of  the  land ;  for  on  account  of  the 
sin  of  Ham  and  the  transgression  of  Canaan  also  all  his 
seed  will  be  destroyed  from  the  earth,  and  none  will  be 
left  and  escape  of  them  on  the  day  of  judgment.  22.  And 
all  those  that  worship  idols  and  all  haters  will  have  no 
hope  in  the  land  ot  the  living,  for  they  will  descend  into 
Sheol  and  will  go  unto  the  place  of  judgment,  and  there 
will  not  be  any  remembrance  of  them  on  the  earth;  just 
as  the  children  of  Sodom  were  taken  away  fi'om  the 
earth,  there  will  be  taken  away  all  those  that  worship  idols. 
23.  Fear  not,  my  son  Jacob,  and  do  not  tremble,  son  of 
Abraham;  the  Most  High  God  will  protect  thee  from  all 
destruction,  and  from  all  the  paths  of  error  he  will  deliver 
thee.  24.  This  house  I  have  built  for  mvself,  that  1  might 
place  my  name  above  it  upon  the  land  which  is  given  to 


68  TIIK  HOOK  OF  JUr.II.EES. 

thee  and  to  thy  seed  forever,  and  that  it  should  be  called 
the  house  of  Abraham ;  it  is  ^iven  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed 
forever,  since  thou  wilt  build  up  my  house  and  wilt  estab- 
lish my  name  before  God  unto  eternity,  and  thy  seed  and 
thy  name  will  stand  in  all  the  g'enerations  of  the  earth." 
25.  And  he  ceased  speaking  an. I  commanding-  and  bless- 
ing. 26.  And  the  two  lay  together  on  one  bed,  and  Jacob 
slept  in  the  bosom  of  Abraham,  the  father  of  his  father, 
and  his  thoughts  kissed  him  seven  times,  and  his  love  and 
his  heart  rejoiced  over  him.  26.  And  he  blessed  him  with 
his  whole  heart  and  said :  "  The  Most  High  God,  the  God 
of  all,  the  Creator  of  all,  who  has  led  me  out  of  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees,  that  he  might  give  me  this  land  as  an  inheri- 
tance to  eternity  and  that  I  should  establish  a  holy  seed, 
may  the  Most  High  be  blessed  to  eternity."  28.  And  he 
blessed  Jacob  and  said:  "My  son,  who  is  in  all  my  heart 
and  in  all  my  thoughts,  ma}'  I  rejoice  in  him,  and  may  thy 
grace  and  thy  mercy  be  extensive  over  him  and  over  his 
seed  all  the  days.  29.  And  do  not  desert  him  and  do  not 
neglect  him  from  now  on  and  to  the  eternity  of  days,  and 
may  thy  eyes  be  open  over  him  and  over  his  seed,  that 
thou  protectest  him  and  blessest  him  and  sanctifiest  him, 
to  be  a  nation  for  thy  inheritance.  30.  And  bless  him 
with  all  thy  blessings  from  now  on  and  to  all  days  to  etei^- 
nity,  and  renew  thy  covenant,  and  be  merciful  with  him 
and  with  his  seed,  in  all  thv  will  to  all  the  generations  of 
the  earth." 

Chai*.  XXI 11.  I.  And  he  laid  two  fingers  of  Jacob 
upon  his  eyes,  and  he  blessed  the  God  of  gods,  and  he- 
covered  his  face  and  stretched  out  his  feet  and  slept  the 
sleep  of  eternity  and  was  gathered  to  his  father.  2.  And 
during  all  this,  Jacob  was  lying  on  his  i)osom  and  did  not 
know  that  Abraham,  the  father  of  his  father,  was  dead. 
3.  And  Jacob  awoke  from  his  sleep,  and,  behold,  Abraham 
was  cold  like  ice,  and  he  said,  "Father!  father!"  and  no 
one  answered,  and  he  knew  that  Abraham  was  dead.  4. 
And    he  arose   from    his   bosom   and    ran    and    told   it    to 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  69 

Rebecca,  his  mother,  and  Rebecca  went  to  Isaac  in  the 
night  and  told  him,  and  they  went  together  and  Jacob 
with  them,  and  a  lamp  was  in  his  hand,  and  going  they 
found  Abraham  as  a  corpse.  5.  And  Isaac  fell  upon  the 
face  of  his  father  Abraham,  and  wept  and  blessed  him 
and  kissed  him ;  and  the  words  were  heard  in  the  house  of 
Abraham,  and  Ishmael,  his  son,  arose  and  came  to  his 
father  Abraham,  and  wept  over  Abraham,  his  father,  he 
and  all  the  house  of  Abraham,  and  they  wept  exceedingly. 
6.  And  his  sons  Isaac  and  Ishmael  buried  him  in  the 
double  cave,  near  to  Sarah,  his  wife,  and  they  mourned 
over  him  forty  days,  all  the  people  of  his  house,  Isaac  and 
Ishmael  and  all  their  children  and  the  children  of  Ketu- 
rah  in  their  places;  and  the  lamentation  and  weeping  over 
Abraham  was  ended.  7.  And  he  lived  three  jubilees  and 
four  weeks  of  years,  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  years, 
and  the  days  of  his  life  were  completed,  and  he  was  old, 
perfect  in  days.  8.  For  the  days  of  the  lives  of  the  first 
fathers  were  nineteen  jubilees,  and  after  the  flood  they 
began  to  decrease  from  nineteen  jubilees,  diminishing 
ing  the  jubilees  and  becoming  speedily  old  and  satisfying 
their  days  on  acctjunt  of  the  many  sufferings  and  the 
wickedness  of  their  ways,  with  the  exception  of  Abraham. 
9.  But  x\braham  was  perfect  in  his  deeds  with  the  Lord 
and  well  pleasing  and  in  righteousness  all  the  days  of  his 
life;  and  behold,  he  did  not  complete  four  jubilees  in  his 
life  until  he  grew  old  on  account  of  wickedness,  and  satis- 
fied with  days.  10.  And  all  the  generations  that  arise 
from  then  and  unto  the  day  of  the  great  judgment  age  die 
speedil}^  before  completing  two  jubilees.  11.  And  it  will 
be  since  their  knowledge  leaves  them  on  account  of  their 
old  age  that  also  all  their  knowledge  ceases.  12.  And  on 
that  day  if  a  man  lives  a  jubilee  and  a  half  jubilee,  they 
say  concerning  him,  "He  has  lived  long;"  and  the  mass 
of  his  days  are  sufferings  and  pain  and  trouble  and  no 
peace,  for  punishment  follows  upon  punishment,  hostility 
upon   hostility,    trouble    upon    trouble,    wickedness  upon 


70  TIIK  HOOK  OF  JU15ILEES. 

wickedness,  sickness  upon  sickness,  and  all  evil  judgments 
of  this  kind,  as  sickness  and  inflammation  and  hail  and 
ice  and  snow  and  fever  and  suffering  and  becoming  stiff, 
and  sterilit}'  and  death  and  sword  and  captivity  and  all 
the  punishments  and  sufferings.  13.  All  this  comes  in  the 
evil  generation  which  sins  upon  the  earth  with  the  un- 
cleanness  of  fornication  and  defilement  and  the  abomina- 
tion of  their  deeds.  14.  And  then  they  will  say:  "The 
days  of  the  fathers  were  many,  even  to  one  thousand 
years,  and  were  good,  and  behold  the  days  of  our  lives,  if 
a  man  has  lived  many,  are  seventy  years,  and  if  he  is 
strong,  eighty  years,  and  all  were  evil  and  no  peace  will 
be  in  this  evil  generation."  15.  And  in  that  genera- 
tion the  children  will  be  about  to  upbraid  their  fathers 
and  their  sires  concerning  the  sin,  and  concerning  the 
injustice,  and  concerning  the  words  of  their  mouth,  and 
concerning  the  great  wickedness  which  they  do,  and  con- 
cerning their  deserting  the  ordinances  which  the  Lord 
had  covenanted  between  them  and  him,  that  they  should 
observe  and  do  all  his  commandments  and  his  ordinances 
and  all  his  laws  and  not  depart  to  the  right  or  to  the  left. 
16.  For  all  are  wicked,  and  every  mouth  speaks  trans- 
gression, and  all  their  deeds  are  unclean  and  an  abomina- 
tion, and  all  their  paths  arc  contamination  and  unclcanncss 
and  destruction.  17.  Behold,  the  earth  will  be  destroyed 
on  account  of  all  their  deeds,  and  there  will  be  no  seed  of 
wine  and  no  oil,  because  all  their  deeds  are  unbelief,  and 
they  all  will  be  destroyed  together,  the  beasts  and  the 
animals  and  the  birds  and  all  the  fish  of  the  sea,  on  acccnmt 
of  the  sons  of  men.  18.  And  they  will  contend  with  each 
other,  the  young  with  the  old  and  the  old  with  the  young; 
the  poor  with  the  rich,  and  the  lowly  with  the  great,  and 
the  beggar  with  the  prince,  on  account  of  the  law  and  on 
account  of  the  covenant,  for  they  have  forgotten  his  com- 
mandments and  his  covenant  and  the  festivals  and  the 
months  and  the  sabbaths  and  the  jubilees  and  all  law.  19. 
And   they  will   arise   with   swords  and    murder  to  bring 


THE  BOOK  (■>¥  JUBILEES.  71 

them  back  to  the  path,  but  they  will  not  return  until  the 
blood  of  many  has  been  spilt  upon  the  earth,  one  over  the 
other.  20.  And  those  who  escape  will  not  return  on  the 
path  of  righteousness  from  their  wickedness,  for  they  all 
will  arise  for  a  robbery  for  wealth,  that  each  one  may  take 
that  which  is  his  neighbors'  and  be  called  by  a  great 
name,  but  not  in  reality  and  in  truth,  and  the  most  holy 
will  be  defiled  in  the  uncleanness  of  the  destruction  of 
their  defilement.  21.  And  a  great  punishment  will  be 
over  the  deeds  of  this  generation  from  the  Lord,  and  he 
will  give  them  over  to  the  sword  and  to  judgment  and  to 
captivity  and  to  robbery  and  to  devouring.  22.  And  he 
will  awaken  over  them  the  sinners  of  the  Gentiles,  who 
will  have  no  mercy  or  grace  for  them,  and  who  regard 
the  face  of  none,  neither  old  nor  young  nor  any  one ;  for 
they  are  wicked  and  powerful  that  they  act  more  wickedly 
than  all  the  children  of  men;  and  in  Israel  they  practise 
violence  and  sin  in  Jacob,  and  the  blood  of  many  will  be 
spilt  on  the  land ;  and  there  will  be  none  to  gather  and  to 
bury.  23.  And  in  those  days  they  will  cry  aloud  and  call 
and  pray  that  they  be  saved  from  the  hands  of  the  sinful 
Gentiles,  and  there  will  be  none  to  save  them,  24.  And 
the  heads  of  the  children  will  be  white  with  gray  hair, 
and  a  child  of  three  weeks  will  appear  as  old  as  a  man  of  a 
hundred  years,  and  their  standing  will  be  destroyed  by 
trouble  and  oppression.  25.  And  in  those  days  the 
children  will  begin  to  seek  the  laws  and  to  seek  the 
commandments  and  to  return  to  the  path  of  righteous- 
ness. 26.  And  the  days  will  begin  to  increase  and  grow 
many,  and  the  children  of  men  generation  by  generation 
and  day  by  day,  until  their  days  approach  to  one  thousand 
years  and  to  a  multitude  of  years  and  days.  27.  And 
no  one  will  be  old  or  satisfied  with  days,  for  all  will 
be  [like]  children  and  youths.  28.  And  all  their  days  will 
be  in  peace,  and  in  joy  they  will  end  them  and  live,  and 
there  will  be  no  satan  nor  any  destroyer,  for  all  their  days 
will  be  days  of  peace  and  healing  and  blessings.     29.  And 


72  TlIK  r.UOK  OV  JUIJILEES. 

at  that  time  the  Lord  will  heal  his  servants,  and  they  will 
arise  and  will  see  great  peace  and  will  cast  out  their  ene- 
mies; and  the  just  shall  see  it  and  be  thankful  and  rejoice 
in  joy  to  all  eternity,  and  shall  see  judgment  and  curses 
upon  all  their  enemies.  30.  And  their  bones  shall  rest  in 
the  earth,  but  their  spirits  shall  increase  in  joy,  and  they 
shall  know  that  the  Lord  is  the  doer  of  judgment,  and 
gives  mercy  to  the  hundreds  and  thousands  and  to  all  that 
love  him.  31.  And  thou,  Moses,  write  down  all  these 
words,  for  thus  are  they  written,  and  they  have  raised 
them  upon  the  tablets  of  heaven  to  the  generation  of 
eternity.' 

Chap.  XXIV.  i.  And  it  happened  after  the  death  of 
Abraham  that  the  Lord  blessed  Isaac,  his  son,  and  he 
arose  from  Hebron  and  went  and  dwelt  at  the  fountain  of 
the  vision,  in  the  first  year  of  the  third  week  of  this  jubi- 
lee, seven  years.  2.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the  fourth 
week  a  famine  began  in  the  land,  in  addition  to  the  first 
famine  which  was  in  the  days  of  Abraham.  3.  And  Jacob 
cooked  a  mess  of  lentils,  and  Esau  came  from  the  field 
hungry.  4.  And  he  said  to  Jacob,  his  brother,  "  Give  me 
of  thy  mess  of  pulse;"  and  Jacob  said  to  him,  "Give  up 
to  me  thy  right  of  first  birth,  and  I  will  give  thee  bread 
and  also  from  this  mess  of  pulse."  5.  And  Esau  said  in 
his  heart,  "  I  shall  die;  what  is  it  to  me  to  be  born  first?" 
6.  And  he  said  to  Jacob,  "  I  will  give  it  to  you."  7.  And 
Jacob  said,  "Swear  to  me  this  day,"  and  he  swore  to  him. 
8.  And  Jacob  gave  to  his  brother  Esau  bread  and  the 
mess,  and  he  ate  and  was  satisfied,  and  Esau  despised  his 
right  of  first  birth;  and  from  this  was  Esau  called  Edom," 
on  account  of  the  mess  of  grain  which  Jacob  gave  him 
for  his  right  of  first  birth.  9.  And  Jacob  became  the 
older,  but   I'2sau   diminished  from  his  greatness.      10.  And 

'    These  somewhat  crass  messianic  views  this  book  has  in  common  with 
other  and  similar  works  of  the  same  period.     Cf.  Enoch  c.  5  et  passim. 

''  The  Ethiopictranslator  must  have  read  ril'f/fiaror  nvfjov  for  Ti'/./wf'.       Cf. 
LXX.  on  Gen.  xxv.  30. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  73 

the  famine  was  over  the  land,  and  Isaac  went  to  go  down 
to  Egypt  in  the  second  year  of  this  week,  and  he  went  to 
the  king  of  the  Philistines  at  Gerara,  to  Abimelech.  ii. 
And  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  and  said  to  him :  "  Do  not 
go  down  to  Egypt;  dwell  in  the  land  which  I  tell  thee  of: 
be  a  stranger  in  this  land,  and  I  will  be  with  thee  and  will 
bless  thee.  12.  For  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed  I  will  give  all 
this  land,  and  I  will  confirm  my  oath  which  I  swore  to 
Abraham,  thy  father,  and  I  will  increase  thy  seed  like  the 
stars  of  the  heavens,  and  I  will  give  to  thy  seed  all  this 
land.  13.  And  in  thy  seed  shall  be  blessed  all  the  nations 
of  the  earth,  because  thy  father  hearkened  unto  my  voice 
and  observed  my  words  and  my  commandments  and  my 
law  and  my  ordinances  and  my  covenant;  and  now  hear 
my  voice  and  dwell  in  this  land."  14.  And  he  dwelt  at 
Gerar  three  weeks  of  years.  15.  And  Abimelech  com- 
manded on  his  account  and  on  account  of  all  that  was 
his,  saying:  "Every  man  that  touches  him  or  any  thing 
that  is  his,  shall  surely  die."  16.  And  Isaac  increased  in 
Philistia,  and  he  secured  many  possessions,  oxen  and 
sheep  and  camels  and  asses  and  many  possessions.  17. 
And  he  sowed  in  the  land  of  Philistia  and  he  raised  a 
hundred-fold,  and  Isaac  became  exceedingly  great,  and 
the  Philistines  were  jealous  of  him,  and  all  the  wells  which 
the  young  men  of  Abraham  had  dug  during  the  life  of 
Abraham  the  Philistines  covered  after  the  death  of  Abra- 
ham and  filled  them  with  earth.  18.  And  Abimelech  said 
to  Isaac:  "Go  from  me,  for  thou  art  exceedingly  greater 
than  I ;"  and  Isaac  went  in  the  first  year  of  this  seventh 
week  from  there,  and  migrated  to  valleys  of  Geranon.  19. 
And  they  returned  and  dug  open  the  wells  of  water,  which 
the  servants  of  Abraham,  his  father,  had  dug,  and  which 
the  Philistines  had  covered  over  after  the  death  of  Abra- 
ham, his  father,  and  he  called  their  names  as  Abraham,  his 
father,  had  named  them.  20.  And  the  young  men  of 
Isaac  dug  wells  in  the  valley,  and  found  living  water;  and 
the  shepherds  of  Geranon  quarrelled  with  the  shepherds 

*6 


74  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

of  Isaac,  saving,  "This  is  our  water,"  and  Isaac  called  the 
name  of  this  well  Contention,  "because  ye  have  contended 
with  us."  21.  And  they  dug-  another  well,  and  quarrelled 
on  its  account,  and  Isaac  called  its  name  Narrowness. 
22.  And  he  arose  from  there,  and  they  dug  another  well, 
and  did  not  quarrel  on  its  account,  and  he  called  its  name 
Extension,  and  Isaac  said,  "  Now  the  Lord  has  extended 
us;"  and  he  increased  in  the  land.  23.  And  he  ascended 
from  there  to  the  well  of  the  oath  in  the  first  year  of  the 
first  week  in  the  forty-third  jubilee.  24.  And  the  Lord 
appeared  to  him  in  this  night,  at  the  new  moon  of  the 
first  month,  and  said  to  him:  "I  am  the  God  of  Abraham, 
thy  father:  fear  not,  for  I  am  with  thee,  and  I  will  bless 
thee  and  increase  thy  seed  like  the  sand  of  the  sea,  on 
account  of  Abraham,  my  servant."  25.  And  he  built 
an  altar  there  where  Abraham,  his  father,  had  first  built 
one,  and  he  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  offered 
sacrifices  to  the  God  of  Abraham,  his  father.  And  they 
dug  a  well  and  found  living  water.  26.  And  the  young 
men  of  Isaac  dug  another  well,  and  did  not  find  water, 
and  they  went  and  told  Isaac  that  they  had  not  found 
water,  and  Isaac  said :  "  I  have  sworn  this  day  to  the  Philis- 
tines, and  this  is  to  us  the  affair."  27.  And  Isaac  called 
the  name  of  this  place  The  Well  of  the  Oath,  for  there  had 
he  sworn  to  Abimelech  and  Akosat,  his  friend,  and  Phikol 
his  companion.  28.  And  Isaac  knew  on  that  day  that  in 
injustice  they  had  sworn  to  them  to  keep  the  peace  with 
them.  29.  And  Isaac  on  that  day  cursed  the  Philistines, 
and  he  said:  "Cursed  be  the  Philistines  to  the  day  of 
wrath  and  rage  above  all  the  nations:  may  the  Lord  make 
them  an  ignominy  and  a  curse  and  anger  and  rage  in  the 
hands  of  sinful  nations,  and  by  the  hands  oi  the  Ilittites 
let  him  root  them  out.  30.  And  whoever  escapes  from 
the  sword  of  the  enemy  and  from  ihe  Ilittites,  may  the 
people  of  the  just  root  them  out  in  judgment  from  under 
heaven,  for  the}'  will  be  enemies  and  halcrs  to  my  children 
in  their  days  over  the  earth.     31.  And  may  no  remnant  of 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  75 

them  be  left  nor  may  any  be  saved  on  the  day  of  the 
judgment  of  wrath,  for  to  destruction  and  rooting  out 
and  being  destroyed  from  the  land  are  all  the  seed  of  the 
Philistines,  and  no  remnant  or  name  shall  be  left  of  their 
seed  over  the  earth.  32.  For  even  if  he  had  ascended  to 
heaven,  they  would  bring  him  down  from  there  ;  and  if 
he  is  fortified  upon  the  earth  they  will  tear  him  from  there ; 
and  if  he  hides  himself  among  the  Gentiles,  they  will 
destroy  him  from  there ;  and  even  if  he  descends  into 
Sheol,  there  too  shall  his  judgment  be  great,  and  no  peace 
shall  be  to  him ;  and  if  he  go  into  captivity,  by  the  hand 
of  those  that  seek  his  soul  on  the  wa}'  he  shall  be  killed, 
and  no  name  or  seed  shall  be  left  him  on  the  whole  earth, 
for  he  shall  go  into  the  curse  of  eternity."  33.  And  thus 
is  it  written  and  engraved  concerning  him  on  the  tablets 
of  heaven,  to  do  to  him  on  the  day  of  judgment,  that  he 
may  be  rooted  out  of  the  earth. 

Chap.  XXV.  i.  And  in  the  second  year  of  this  week 
in  this  jubilee  Rebecca  called  Jacob  her  son,  and  spake  to 
him,  saying:  "  My  son,  do  not  take  to  thyself  a  wife  from 
among  the  daughters  of  Canaan,  like  Esau,  thy  brother, 
who  took  to  himself  as  wives  two  from  the  seed  of  Canaan, 
and  they  embittered  my  spirit  with  all  their  unclean  deeds, 
for  all  their  deeds  are  fornication  and  shame,  and  there  is 
no  righteousness  in  them,  but  it  is  evil.  2.  And  I,  my 
son,  love  thee  exceedingly,  and  my  mercy,  my  son,  blesses 
thee  at  every  hour  and  watch  of  the  night;  and  now,  my 
son,  hear  my  voice,  and  do  the  will  of  thy  mother,  and  do 
not  take  to  thyself  a  wife  from  among  the  daughters  of 
this  land,  except  from  the  house  of  thy  father  and  except 
from  the  family  of  thy  father:  take  to  thyself  a  wife  from 
the  house  of  my  father,  and  the  Most  High  God  will  bless 
thee,  and  thy  children  will  be  a  generation  of  righteous- 
ness and  thy  seed  holy."  3.  And  then  spake  Jacob  with 
his  mother  Rebecca,  and  said  to  her:  "Behold,  I  am  now 
nine  weeks  of  years  old  and  know  no  woman :  I  have 
touched  none  nor  betrothed  myself  to  any,  nor  do  I  think 


'j6  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

of  taking  to  myself  a  wife  from  all  the  seed  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  Canaan.     4.  For  I  remember,  O  mother,  the  words 
of  Abraham,  our  father,  that  he  commanded   me    not  to 
take  my  wife  from  among  all  the  seed  of  the  house  of 
Canaan,  but  from  the  seed  of  my  father's  house  I  should 
take  to  myself  a  wife  and  from  my  relationship.     5.  1  have 
heard  before  that  daughters  have  been  born  to  Laban,  thy 
brother,  and  upon  them  is  my  heart  set  to  take  a  wife  of 
them.  6.  On  this  account  I  have  preserved  myself  in  my  spirit 
not  to  sin  nor  defile  myself  in  all  my  ways  all  the  days  of 
my  life,  for  with  reference  to  lust  and  fornication  my  father 
Abraham  gave  me  many  commands.     7.  And  with  all  that 
he  has  commanded  me  these  twenty-two  years  my  brother 
contends  with  me  and  continually  converses,  saying:   My 
brother,  take  to  wife  one  of  the  sisters  of  my  two  wives ; 
but  I  am  not  willing  to  do  as  my  brother  has  done.     8.  I 
swear  before  thee,  my  mother,  that  all  the  days  of  my  Hie 
I  will  not  take  to  myself  a  wife  trom   the  seed  of  all  the 
daughters  of  Canaan,  and   will   not  act  wickedly  as  my 
brother  has  done.     9.  And  do  not  fear,  mother;  trust  me 
that  I  will  do  thy  will,  and  will  walk  in  rectitude,  and  my 
paths  will  not  be  destroyed  in  eternity."     10.  And  then 
she  lifted  up  her  face  to  heaven  and  extended  the  fingers 
of  her  hand  toward   heaven,  and  opened  her  mouth  and 
blessed  the  Most  High  God,  who  had  created  heaven  and 
earth,  and  she  gave  him  thanks  and  praise.     11.  And  she 
said  :  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  and  blessed  be  his  name 
for  ever  and  ever,  who  has  given  to  me  Jacob  as  a  pure 
son  and  a  holy  seed;  for  thine  he  is  and  thine  shall  be  his 
seed  unto  all  the  days  and  in  all  the  generations  of  the 
world.     12.  Bless  him,  O  Lord,  and  place  the  blessing  of 
righteousness   in   my  mouth  that  I  may   bless  him."      13. 
And   at  that  hour  the   Holy   Spirit  descended   into   her 
mouth,  and  she  placed  her  two  hands  upon  the  head  of 
Jacob, and  she  said:  "Blessed  art  thou.  Lord  of  righteous- 
ness and   God  of  the  worlds,  and  thee  do  all  the  genera- 
tions of  men  praise:  may  he  give  thee,  my  son,  the  path 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  'J'J 

of  righteousness,  and  reveal  to  thy  seed  righteousness. 
14.  And  may  thy  sons  increase  in  thy  hfe,  and  stand  to  the 
number  of  the  months  of  the  year,  and  may  thy  sons  in- 
crease and  grow  more  than  the  stars  of  the  heavens,  and 
more  than  the  sand  of  the  sea  increase  their  numbers.  15. 
And  may  he  give  them  this  fruitful  land,  as  he  said  he 
would  give  it  to  Abraham  and  his  seed  after  him  in  all  the 
days,  and  may  they  possess  it  to  eternity.  16.  And  may 
I  see  for  thee,  my  son,  blessed  children  in  this  life,  and  may 
holy  seed  be  all  thy  seed.  17.  And  as  the  spirit  of  thy 
mother  in  her  life  caused  thee  to  rest  in  her  womb  to  give 
thee  birth,  thus  my  affection  blesses  thee,  and  my  breasts 
bless  thee  and  my  mouth  and  my  tongue  praise  thee.  18. 
Increase  and  be  poured  over  the  earth,  and  thy  seed  be 
perfect  in  all  the  earth  in  the  joy  of  heaven  and  earth,  and 
may  thy  seed  rejoice,  and  on  the  great  day  of  peace  ma}- 
the  peace  of  thv  name  be  theirs.  19.  And  may  thy  seed 
abide  to  all  the  worlds,  and  may  the  Most  High  God  be 
their  God,  and  may  the  Most  High  God  dwell  with  them 
and  his  sanctuary  be  built  to  all  the  eternities.  20.  He 
that  blesses  thee  be  blessed,  and  all  flesh  that  curses  thee 
in  lies,  may  it  be  cursed."  21.  And  she  kissed  him  and 
said  to  him,  "  May  the  Lord  of  the  world  love  thee  as  the 
heart  of  thy  mother,  and  may  her  affection  rejoice  in  thee 
and  bless  thee."  22.  And  she  ceased  from  blessing  him. 
Chap.  XXVI.  i.  And  in  the  seventh  year  of  this  week 
Isaac  called  Esau,  his  elder  son,  and  said  to  him :  "  My 
son,  I  am  old,  and  behold  my  eyes  are  dull  of  seeing,  and  I 
do  not  know  the  day  of  my  death.  2.  And  now  take  thy 
hunting  weapon  and  thy  bow  and  thy  quiver,  and  go  to 
the  field  and  hunt  and  catch  something  for  me,  my  son, 
and  prepare  me  a  meal  such  as  my  soul  loves,  and  bring 
it  to  mc,  so  that  I  may  eat  and  my  soul  bless  thee  before 
I  die."  3.  But  Rebecca  heard  Isaac  speaking  to  Esau.  4. 
And  Esau  went  early  to  the  field  to  hunt  and  catch  some- 
thing and  bring  it  to  his  father.  5.  And  Rebecca  called 
Jacob,  her  son,  and   said   to   him:  "Behold,  I  have  heard 


78  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

thy  father  Isaac  speaking  with  thy  brother  Esau,  saying, 
'  Hunt  me  something  and  prepare  a  meal  and  bring  it  in  to 
me,  and  I  will  bless  thee  before  the  Lord  before  I  die.'  6. 
But  now  hear,  my  son,  my  words  which  1  command  thee: 
Go  to  thy  flocks  and  bring  me  two  good  young  kids,  and 
I  will  make  a  meal  out  of  them  such  as  he  loves,  and  thou 
shalt  bring  it  in  to  thy  father  and  he  shall  eat,  that  he  may 
bless  thee  before  the  Lord  before  he  dies,  and  thou  become 
blessed."  7.  And  Jacob  said  to  his  mother  Rebecca:  "O 
mother,  I  will  not  hold  back  any  thing  that  my  father  may 
eat  and  is  pleasing  to  him ;  onl}'  I  fear,  my  mother,  that 
he  will  know  my  voice  and  will  desire  to  touch  me ; 
and  thou  knowest  that  I  am  smooth,  but  my  brother  Esau 
is  rough,  and  I  may  be  before  his  eyes  like  an  evil-doer, 
and  I  should  do  a  deed  which  he  has  not  commanded  me, 
and  he  might  become  angr}-  with  me  and  I  should  bring  a 
curse  upon  myself  and  not  a  blessing."  8.  And  Rebecca, 
his  mother,  said  to  him :  "  Upon  me,  my  son,  be  thy  curse ; 
and  again  listen  to  my  voice."  9.  And  Jacob  obeyed  the 
words  of  his  mother  Re!)ccca,  and  he  went  and  took  two 
good  and  fat  young  ki  Is  and  brought  them  in  to  his 
mother,  and  his  mother  made  a  meal  out  of  them  as  he 
liked  it.  10.  And  Rebec '.:a  took  the  clothing  of  her  elder 
son  Esau,  the  most  prec:  )us  with  her  in  the  house,  and 
clothed  Jacob  with  ther.i,  and  the  skins  of  the  kids  she 
placed  over  his  hands  and  upon  the  exposed  parts  of  his 
body  ;  and  she  gave  the  meat  and  the  bread  which  she  had 
made  into  the  hands  of  her  son  Jacob.  1 1.  And  he  went  in  to 
his  father  and  said  :  "  Behold,  I  am  thy  son  ;  I  have  done  as 
thou  hast  said  to  me :  arise  and  sit  up  and  eat  of  what  1  have 
hunted,  my  father,  that  thy  soul  may  bless  me."  12.  And 
Isaac  said  to  his  son,  "  What  is  this,  that  thou  hast  so  sud- 
denly found  it,  my  son?"  13.  And  Jacob  said  to  him  :  "  He 
who  has  caused  me  to  find  it,  thy  God,  is  before  me."  14. 
And  Isaac  said:  "Come  hither  to  me,  that  1  may  touch 
thee,  my  son,  if  thou  art  in\-  son  l{sau,or  if  not."  15.  And 
Jacob   came  near  to  Isaac  liis  father,  and  he  touched  him. 


THE  ROOK  OF  JUBILEES.  79 

i6.  And  he  said :  "  The  voice  is  the  voice  of  Jacob,  but 
the  hand  is  the  hand  of  Esau;"  and  he  did  not  know  him, 
for  it  was  a  fate  from  heaven  to  remove  his  spirit ;  and 
Isaac  did  not  know  him,  for  his  hands  were  like  his  [i.  e., 
Esau's]  hands,  and  hairy  like  the  hands  of  Esau,  so  that 
he  should  bless  him.  17.  And  he  said,  "Art  thou  my  son 
Esau?"  And  he  said,  "I  am  thy  son."  And  he  said: 
"  Bring  hither  to  me,  and  I  will  eat  of  what  thou  hast 
hunted,  my  son,  that  my  soul  may  bless  thee."  18.  And 
he  brought  to  him  the  meal,  and  he  ate ;  and  he  brought 
in  wine,  and  he  drank.  19.  And  Isaac,  his  father,  said  to 
him  :  "Approach  and  kiss  me,  my  son ;"  and  he  approached 
and  kissed  him.  20.  And  he  smelt  the  smell  of  his  clothes, 
and  he  blessed  him,  and  said :  "  Behold,  the  smell  of  my 
son  is  like  the  smell  of  the  field  which  the  Lord  has 
blessed ;  and  may  the  Lord  give  to  thee  and  increase  thee 
like  the  dew  of  the  heaven  and  the  dew  of  earth,  and  may 
grain  increase  and  oil  be  plenty  to  thee,  and  may  the 
nations  serve  thee  and  the  peoples  bow  down  to  thee.  21. 
Be  the  lord  of  thy  brother,  and  may  the  sons  of  thy  mother 
bow  down  to  thee,  and  may  all  the  blessings  with  which 
the  Lord  has  blessed  me  and  has  blessed  my  father  Abra- 
ham be  thine  and  thy  seed's  to  eternity :  he  that  curseth 
thee  shall  be  cursed,  and  he  that  blesseth  thee  shall  be 
blessed."  22.  And  when  Isaac  ended  blessing  his  son 
Jacob,  then  Jacob  went  out  from  Isaac  his  father  to  hide 
himself.  23.  But  Esau,  his  brother,  came  in  from  hunting, 
and  he  too  prepared  a  meal  and  brought  it  in  to  his  father, 
and  said  to  his  father,  "  Arise,  my  father,  and  eat  of  m}- 
prey,  that  thy  soul  may  bless  me."  24.  And  Isaac,  his 
father,  said  to  him,  "  Who  art  thou?"  25.  And  he  said  to 
him,  "I  am  thy  first-born  son  Esau;  I  have  done  as  thou 
hast  commanded  me."  26.  And  Isaac  was  very  much 
astounded,  and  said:  "Who  was  he  that  hunted  and 
caught  something  for  me,  and  brought  it  in,  and  1  ale  of 
all  before  thou  earnest  in,  and  I  blessed  him  ?  27.  Blessed 
shall  he  be  and  his  seed  to  eternity."     28.  And  when  l^'sau 


80  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

heard  the  words  of  his  father  Isaac  he  cried  with  a  loud 
and  very  bitter  voice,  and  said  to  his  father:  "Bless  me 
too,  father !  "  29.  And  he  said  to  him,  "  Thy  brother  came 
and  took  thy  blessing."  30.  [And  Esau  said:]  "And  now 
I  know  why  his  name  is  called  Jacob;  behold  he  has  en- 
snared me  twice  ;  the  first  time  he  took  my  birth-right,  and 
now  he  takes  my  blessing.  31.  And  he  said,  "Hast  thou 
not  a  blessing  left  for  me.  mv  father?"  32.  And  Isaac 
answered  and  said  to  Esau  :  "  Behold,  1  have  set  him  as  lord 
over  thee  and  all  his  brothers,  and  have  given  them  to  be 
his  servants,  and  with  much  grain  and  oil  and  ^vine  I  have 
strengthened  him,  and  what  shall  I  do  to  thee,  my  son?" 
33.  And  Esau  said  to  his  father  Isaac:  "  Hast  thou  but  one 
blessing,  father?  Bless  also  me,  father."  34.  And  Esau 
raised  his  voice  and  wept.  And  Isaac  answered  and  said 
to  him  :  "  Behold,  from  the  fatness  of  the  earth  shall  be 
thy  substance  and  from  the  dew  of  heaven  above ;  and 
thou  shalt  live  by  thy  sword  and  thou  shalt  serve  thy 
brother.  35.  And  it  wall  happen  when  thou  art  great  and 
shalt  break  his  yoke  off  thy  neck,  thou  shalt  commit  a  sin 
unto  death,  and  all  thy  seed  shall  be  rooted  out  from  under 
heaven."  36.  And  Esau  was  wroth  at  Jacob  on  account 
of  the  blessing  with  which  his  father  had  blessed  him  ; 
and  he  said  in  his  heart,  "  Now  the  days  of  grief  may 
come  for  my  father,  that  I  may  kill  my  brother  Jacob." 

CiiAi'.  XXV'II.  I.  And  the  words  of  Esau,  her  elder 
son,  were  told  to  Rebecca  in  a  dream,  and  Rebecca,  send- 
ing, called  for  Jacob,  her  younger  son.  2.  And  she  said 
to  him :  "  Behold,  thy  brother  Esau  is  making  his  plans  to 
kill  thee;  and  now  hear  my  words:  arise  and  flee  to  ni}' 
brother  Laban  and  dwell  with  him  a  number  of  days,  until 
the  anger  of  thy  brother  has  turned  and  his  anger  has 
departed  from  thee  and  he  forget  every  thing  that  Ihou 
hast  done  him,  and  I  will  send  to  bring  thee  from  there." 
3.  And  Jacob  said:  "I  have  no  fear:  if  he  desiix'S  to  kill 
me,  I  will  kill  him."  4.  And  she  said  to  him,  "Then 
should  I  bcclcpi"i\'C(l  of  both  my  sons  in  f)ne  day."     5.  And 


THE  r.(^OK  OF  JU15ILKES.  8l 

Jacob  said  to  his  mother  Rebecca:  "  Behold,  thou  know- 
est  that  my  father  is  old,  and  I  see  that  his  eyes  have  be- 
come dull,  and  if  I  leave  him  it  will  be  evil  in  his  eyes 
that  I  leave  him  and  go  away  fi-om  thee,  and  my  father 
will  be  angry  and  will  curse  me.  I  will  not  go ;  only  if 
he  sends  me  will  I  go  from  here."  6.  And  Rebecca  said 
to  Jacob:  "  I  will  go  in  and  will  speak  to  him,  and  he  will 
send  thee."  7.  And  Rebecca  went  in  and  spake  to  Isaac: 
"  I  am  aggrieved  in  my  life  on  account  of  the  two  daugh- 
ters of  TJeth  which  Esau  has  taken  to  himself  as  wives  from 
among  the  daughters  of  Canaan:  why  should  I  yet  live? 
for  the  daughters  of  the  land  of  Canaan  are  evil."  8.  And 
Isaac  called  his  son  Jacob,  and  blessed  him,  and  admon- 
ished him,  and  said  to  him :  "  Do  not  take  to  thee  a  wife 
from  among  all  the  daughters  of  Canaan ;  arise  and  go  to 
Mesopotamia,  to  the  house  of  the  father  of  th)-  mother, 
to  the  house  of  Bethuel,  and  take  to  thee  from  there  a  wife 
from  among  the  daughters  of  Laban,  the  brother  of  thy 
mother.  And  may  the  God  of  heaven  bless  thee  and  in- 
crease and  enlarge  thee,  and  become  thou  a  collection  of  na- 
tions, and  may  he  give  the  blessings  of  th}^  father  Abraham 
to  thee  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  that  thou  mayest  inherit 
the  land  of  thy  pilgrimage  and  all  the  land  which  the  Lord 
gave  to  Abraham :  go,  my  son,  in  peace !  "  9.  And  Isaac 
sent  away  Jacob,  and  he  went  to  Mesopotamia  to  Laban, 
the  son  of  Bethuel,  the  Syrian,  the  brother  of  Rebecca, 
the  mother  of  Jacob.  10.  And  it  happened  when  Jacob 
had  arisen  to  go  to  Mesopotamia,  the  spirit  of  Rebecca 
was  sad  after  her  son  had  gone,  and  she  wept.  11.  And 
Isaac  said  to  Rebecca:  "My  sister,  weep  not  on  account 
of  Jacob,  my  son,  for  he  is  going  in  peace,  and  in  peace 
he  will  return.  12.  The  Most  High  God  will  preserve 
him  from  all  evil  and  will  be  with  him,  for  he  will  not 
desert  him  any  day  of  his  life,  for  I  perceive  that  the  Lord 
will  prosper  his  path  wherever  he  goes,  until  he  returns 
in  peace  to  us  and  we  see  him  in  peace.  13.  Do  not  fear 
on  his  account,  my  sister,  for  right  is  his  path  and  he  is  a 


82  THE  BOf^C  OF  JUBILEES. 

perfect  and  faithful  man  and  will  not  be  destroyed :  do  not 
weep!"  14.  And  Isaac  comforted  Rebecca  on  account  of 
Jacob  her  son,  and  blessed  him.  15.  And  Jacob  went 
from  The  Well  of  the  Oath  that  he  might  come  to  Haran  in 
the  first  year  of  the  second  week  in  the  forty-fourth  jubi- 
lee, and  came  to  Loza  among  the  mountains,  that  is,  Bethel, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  first  month  of  this  week,  and  he 
came  to  the  place  at  eve,  and  he  turned  off  from  the  way 
toward  the  west  from  the  highway  in  this  night,  and  slept 
there,  for  the  sun  had  set.  16.  And  he  took  one  from 
among  the  stones  of  that  place  and  laid  it  under  a  tree, 
and  he  was  travelling  alone,  and  he  slept.  17.  And  he 
dreamed  in  that  night  a  dream,  and  behold,  a  ladder  was 
planted  upon  the  earth,  and  its  head  reached  to  the 
heaven,  and  behold,  the  angels  of  the  Lord  ascended  and 
descended  on  it,  and  behold,  the  Lord  stood  upon  it.  18. 
And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Jacob  and  said :  "  I  am  the  Lord 
God  of  Abraham,  thy  father,  and  the  God  of  Isaac:  the 
land  upon  which  thou  art  sleeping  I  will  give  to  thee  and 
to  thy  seed  after  thee,  and  thy  seed  shall  be  like  the  sand 
of  the  sea,  and  thou  shalt  increase  to  the  west  and  east 
and  south  and  north ;  and  all  the  countries  of  the  nations 
shall  be  blessed  in  thee  and  in  thy  seed.  19.  And  behold, 
I  will  be  with  thee  and  still  watch  over  thee  in  all  things 
wherever  thou  goest,  and  will  brmg  thcc  back  into  this 
land  in  peace;  for  I  will  not  leave  thee  until  I  do  all  that 
I  have  said  to  thee."  20.  And  Jacob  finished  his  sleep, 
and  said:  "Truly  this  place  is  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and 
I  did  not  know  it."  21.  And  he  was  afraid,  and  said: 
"  Dreadful  is  this  place,  which  is  nothing  but  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  and  this  is  the  portal  of  heaven."  22.  And  Jacob 
awoke  early  in  the  morning  and  took  the  stone  from  under 
his  head  and  placed  it  up  as  a  pillar,  as  a  sign  of  this  place ; 
and  he  poured  oil  upon  its  head,  and  called  the  name  of 
this  place  Bethel;  but  its  first  name  was  Loza,  like  the 
land.  23.  And  Jacob  prayed  a  prayer  to  ilie  Lord,  saying: 
"  If  the  Lord   will   be  with  mc  and  guard  mc  on  this  ])ath 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  83 

upon  which  I  walk,  and  if  the  Lord  give  me  bread  to  eat 
and  clothes  to  clothe  myself,  and  I  return  in  peace  to  the 
house  of  my  father,  then  the  Lord  shall  be  my  God,  and 
this  stone,  which  I  have  set  up  as  a  pillar,  as  a  sign  in  this 
place,  shall  be  a  house  of  the  Lord.  24.  And  all  things 
that  thou  givest  me,  of  that  I  will  give  the  tenth  to  thee, 
my  God." 

Chap.  XXVI IL  i.  And  he  lifted  up  his  feet  and  went 
to  the  land  of  the  east,  to  Laban,  the  brother  of  his  mother 
Rebecca,  and  he  was  with  him  and  served  him  for  Rachel, 
his  daughter  one  week.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the  third 
week  he  said  to  him :  "  Give  me  my  wife,  for  whom  I  have 
served  thee  seven  years.  2.  And  Laban  said  to  Jacob,  "  I 
will  give  thee  thy  wife."  And  Laban  made  a  feast,  and 
took  Leah,  his  older  daughter,  and  gave  her  to  Jacob  as  a 
wife,  and  gave  her  Zalapha  as  a  maid  to  serve  her;  and 
Jacob  did  not  know  it,  for  he  thought  she  was  Rachel.  3. 
And  he  went  in  to  her,  and  behold,  it  was  Leah ;  and 
Jacob  was  angry  at  Laban  and  said  to  him :  "  Why  hast 
thou  done  thus?  4.  Have  I  not  served  thee  for  Rachel 
and  not  for  Leah?  Why  hast  thou  injured  me?  Take  thy 
daughter  and  I  will  go ;  for  thou  hast  done  evil  to  me." 
5.  For  Jacob  loved  Rachel  more  than  Leah,  for  the  eyes 
of  Leah  were  dull,  but  her  form  was  very  beautiful ;  but 
Rachel  had  beautiful  eyes  and  a  beautiful  and  ver}"  at- 
tractive form.  6.  And  Laban  said  to  Jacob:  "  It  is  not  the 
custom  in  our  land  to  give  the  younger  before  the  elder." 
7.  And  it  is  not  right  to  do  this,  for  thus  is  it  ordained 
and  written  on  the  tablets  of  heaven,  that  no  one  shall 
give  his  younger  daughter  before  the  older,  but  shall 
give  the  younger  after  her.  8.  And  the  man  that  does 
this  loads  sin  upon  himself  on  this  account  in  heaven, 
and  no  one  who  does  this  is  just,  for  it  is  an  evil  deed 
before  the  Lord.  9.  And  thou  command  the  children  of 
Israel  that  they  do  not  this  thing,  and  neither  take  nor 
give  the  younger  before  the  older  has  been  established, 
for  it    is   very    wicked.     10.  And   Laban    said    to   Jacob: 


84  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

"  Let  the  seven  days  of  this  feast  pass  by,  and  I  will  give 
thee  Rachel  that  thou  mayest  serve  me  another  seven  3'ears, 
that  thou  mayest  herd  my  sheep,  as  thou  hast  done  in  the 
first  week."  11.  And  on  the  day  when  the  seven  days  of  the 
feast  of  Leah  were  passed,  Laban  gave  Rachel  to  Jacob, 
that  he  might  serve  him  a  second  seven  vcars,  and  he  gave 
Rachel  Balla,  the  sister  of  Zalapha,  as  a  maid  to  serve  her. 
12.  And  he  served  seven  years  again  for  Rachel,  for  Leah 
had  been  given  to  him.  13.  And  the  Lord  opened  the 
womb  of  Leah,  and  she  became  pregnant  and  bore  Jacob 
a  son,  and  he  called  his  name  Reuben,  on  the  fourteenth 
of  the  ninth  month  of  the  first  year  of  the  third  week. 
14.  But  the  womb  of  Rachel  was  closed,  for  the  Lord  saw 
that  Leah  was  hated  but  Rachel  was  beloved.  15.  And 
again  Jacob  went  in  to  Leah,  and  she  conceived  and  bore 
Jacob  a  second  son,  and  he  called  his  name  Simeon,  on  the 
twenty-first  of  the  tenth  month  and  the  third  year  of  this 
week.  16.  And  again  Jacob  went  in  to  Leah,  and  she  be- 
came pregnant  and  bore  him  a  third  son,  and  he  called  his 
name  Levi,  in  the  beginning  of  the  third  month,  in  the 
sixth  year  of  this  week.  17.  And  again  Jacob  went  in  to 
Leah,  and  she  became  pregnant  and  bore  him  a  fourth 
son,  and  he  called  his  name  Judali,  on  the  fifteenth  of  the 
third  month  in  the  first  year  of  the  fourth  week.  18.  And 
in  all  this  Rachel  was  jealous  of  Leah,  for  she  did  not 
bear;  and  she  said  to  Jacob,  "Give  me  a  son  !  "  19.  And 
Jacob  said  to  her,  "Am  I  preventing  fruit  of  the  womb 
from  thee:  have  I  left  thee?"  20.  And  when  Rachel  saw 
that  Leah  had  borne  Jacob  four  sons,  Reuben,  Simeon, 
Levi,  and  Judah,  then  she  said  to  him,  "  Go  in  to  Balla,  my 
maid,  and  she  will  conceive  and  bear  a  son  for  me."  21. 
And  he  went  in  to  her,  and  she  became  pregnant  and  i^orc 
him  a  son,  and  she  called  his  name  Dan,  on  the  ninth  of 
the  sixth  month,  in  the  sixth  year  of  tlie  third  week.  22. 
And  again  a  second  time  he  went  in  to  Balla,  and  she  be- 
came pregnant  and  bore  Jacob  another  son,  and  Rachel 
called   his  name   Nai)htalim,   in   the  fifth   of  the   seventh 


THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES.  85 

month  of  the  second  year  of  the  fourth  week.  23.  And 
when  Leah  saw  that  she  had  become  sterile  and  did  not 
bear,  she  became  jealous  of  Rachel,  and  she  gave  Zalapha, 
her  maid,  to  Jacob  as  a  wife,  and  she  became  pregnant 
and  bore  him  a  son,  and  she  called  his  name  Gad,  on  the 
twelfth  of  the  eighth  month  in  the  third  year  of  the  fourth 
week.  24.  And  again  he  went  in  to  her,  and  she  became 
pregnant  and  bore  him  another  son,  and  Leah  called  his 
name  Asher,  on  the  second  of  the  eleventh  month  in  the 
fifth  year  of  the  fourth  week.  25.  And  Jacob  went  in  to 
Leah,  and  she  became  pregnant  and  bore  Jacob  a  son,  and 
she  called  his  name  Issachar,  on  the  fourth  of  the  fifth 
month  in  the  fourth  year  of  the  fourth  week,  and  she  gave 
him  to  a  nurse.  26.  And  Jacob  again  went  in  to  her,  and 
she  became  pregnant  and  she  bore  him  two  [children],  a 
son  and  a  daughter,  and  she  called  his  name  Zebulon  and 
the  name  of  the  daughter  Dinah,  on  the  seventh  of  the 
seventh  month  in  the  sixth  year  of  the  fourth  week.  27. 
And  the  Lord  was  gracious  to  Rachel  and  opened  her 
womb,  and  she  became  pregnant  and  bore  a  son,  and  she 
called  his  name  Joseph,  in  the  beginning  of  the  fourth 
month  of  the  sixth  year  of  this  fourth  week.  28.  And  in 
the  days  when  Joseph  was  born  Jacob  said  to  Laban : 
"Give  me  my  wives  and  my  children,  and  I  will  go  to  my 
father  Isaac,  and  I  will  make  for  myself  a  house,  for  1 
have  completed  the  years  which  I  have  served  thee  for 
thy  two  daughters,  and  I  will  go  to  the  house  of  my 
father."  29.  And  Laban  said  to  Jacob:  "Remain  with 
me  for  wages,  and  herd  my  folds  again  and  receive  thy 
wages."  30.  And  the}'  agreed  with  each  other,  that  he 
would   give    him    as    wages   all   the    young    sheep    and 

goats should  be  his  wages.     And  the  possessions  of 

Jacob  increased   very  much,  and   he  possessed  oxen  and 
sheep  and  asses  and  camels  and  sons  and  daughters.     31.. 
And  Laban  and  his  sons  were  jealous  of  Jacob,  and  Laban 
gathered  his  sheep  away  from  him,  and  thought  out  evil. 
Chap.  XXIX.     i.  And  it  happened   when  Rachel  had 


86  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

given  birth  to  Joseph  that  Labaii  went  out  to  shear  his 
sheep,  for  they  were  distant  from  him  a  journey  of  three 
days.  2.  And  Jacob  saw  that  Laban  had  gone  to  shear 
his  sheep,  and  he  called  Leah  and  Rachel,  and  spake  unto 
their  hearts,  that  they  should  go  with  him  to  the  land  of 
Canaan,  for  he  told  them  all  that  he  had  seen  in  the  dream, 
and  all  that  he  [God]  had  spoken  to  him,  that  he  should 
return  to  the  house  of  his  father;  and  they  said  to  him: 
"We  will  go  ever^^where  thou  goest,  with  thee  we  will 
go."  3.  And  Jacob  blessed  the  God  of  his  father  Isaac, 
and  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  father  of  his  father,  and  he 
arose  and  prepared  his  wives  and  children,  and  took  all 
his  possessions  and  crossed  the  river  and  came  to  the  land 
of  Gilcad,  and  Jacob  hid  his  heart  from  Laban  and  did  not 
tell  him.  4.  And  in  the  seventh  year  of  the  fourth  week 
Jacob  returned  to  Gilead  in  the  first  month,  on  the  twenty- 
first;  and  Laban  followed  after  him,  and  found  Jacob  in 
the  mountains  of  Gilead,  in  the  third  month,  on  the  twelfth 
thereof.  5.  And  the  Lord  did  not  permit  him  to  injure 
Jacob,  for  he  appeared  to  him  in  a  dream  by  night;  and 
Laban  spake  to  Jacob.  6.  And  on  the  fifteenth  thereof, 
on  that  day,  Jacob  made  a  feast  to  Laban  and  all  who  had 
come  with  him,  and  Jacob  swore  to  Laban  on  this  day 
and  Laban  to  Jacob,  that  they  would  not  cross  for  evil  to 
one  another  the  mountains  of  Gilead.  7.  And  he  made 
there  a  large  stone  heap  as  a  testimony ;  on  this  account 
the  name  of  this  place  is  called  "  The  Stone  Heap  of  Testi- 
mony;" such  is  the  heap.  8.  But  before  they  had  called 
the  land  of  Gilead  the  land  of  Raj^haim,  for  it  was  the 
land  of  the  Raphaim,  and  the  Raphaim,  or  giants,  were 
born  there,  whose  length  is  ten,  nine,  eight,  and  seven  ells, 
and  their  dwellings  were  from  the  land  of  the  sons  (jf 
Ammon  to  Mount  Ilermcjn,  and  the  scats  of  their  king- 
dom were  Koronaem  and  Adra  and  Misur  and  Beon. 
9.  And  the  Lord  slew  them  on  account  of  the  wickedness 
of  their  deeds,  for  they  were  most  terrible,  and  the  Am- 
morites  inhabit  it  in  their  place,  evil  and  sinful,  and  there 


THE  BOOK  OE  JUBILEES.  8/ 

is  no  nation  to-day  that  has  completed  all  their  sin,  and 
therefore  they  have  no  length  of  life  upon  the  earth.  lo. 
And  Jacob  sent  Laban  away,  and  he  came  into  the  land  of 
Mesopotamia,  the  land  of  the  east,  but  Jacob  returned  to 
the  land  of  Gilead  and  crossed  over  the  Jabbok  in  the 
ninth  month  on  the  eleventh  thereof,  ii.  And  on  that 
day  Esau,  his  brother,  came  to  him,  and  they  settled  their 
troubles;  and  they  went  from  here  into  the  land  of  Seir, 
but  Jacob  dwelt  in  tents.  12.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the 
fifth  week  of  this  jubilee  he  crossed  the  Jordan  and  lived 
opposite  the  Jordan,  that  he  might  pasture  his  sheep  from 
the  land  of  Stone  Heap  to  Beta-Zon  and  to  Dotaem  and  to 
Akrabil.  13.  And  he  sent  to  his  father  Isaac  of  all  his 
possessions  clothing  and  food  and  meat  and  drink  and 
milk  and  oil  and  bread  of  milk  and  of  the  palms  of  the 
valley;  and  to  his  mother  Rebecca  he  also  sent  four  times 
a  year,  between  the  times  of  the  months,  between  the 
plowing  and  the  harvest,  between  the  spring  and  the  rain, 
and  between  winter  and  summer,  to  the  tower  of  Abra- 
ham, for  Isaac  had  returned  from  The  Well  of  the  Oath  and 
had  gone  up  to  the  tower  of  his  father  Abraham,  and  he 
dwelt  there  apart  from  his  son  Esau.  14.  For  in  the  days 
when  Jacob  went  to  Mesopotamia,  Esau  took  to  himself 
as  wife  Malit,  the  daughter  of  Ishmael,  and  collected  all 
the  herds  of  his  father  and  his  wives  and  went  up  and 
dwelt  in  the  mountains  of  Seir,  and  left  Isaac,  his  father, 
at  The  Well  of  the  Oath  alone ;  and  Isaac  went  up  from  The 
Well  of  the  Oath,  and  dwelt  in  the  tower  of  Abraham,  his 
father,  on  the  mountains  of  Hebron.  15.  And  from  here 
Jacob  sent  all  things  which  he  sent  to  his  father  Isaac  and 

to  his  mother  from  time  to  time all  their  sorrows; 

and  they  blessed  Jacob  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their 
souls. 

CiiAi'.  XXX.  I.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the  sixth 
week  he  went  up  to  Salem,  which  is  opposite  the  east  of 
Shcchem,  in  peace,  in  the  fourth  month ;  and  there  they 
brought  by  force  Dinah,  the  daughter  df  Jacob,  into  the 


88  THE  BOOK  OF  JUBILEES. 

house  of  Shechem,  the  son  of  Hamor,  the  Hivite  prince  ol 
the  land,  and  he  slept  with  her  and  defiled  her,  and  she 
was  a  small  girl  twelve  years  of  age.  2.  And  he  begged 
her  father  and  her  brothers  for  her,  that  she  should  be 
giv^en  to  him  as  wife;  and  Jacob  and  his  sons  were  angry 
on  account  of  the  men  of  Shechem,  because  they  had  defiled 
their  sister  Dinah ;  and  they  spoke  with  them  for  evil,  and 
intrigued  against  and  deceived  them.  3.  And  Simeon  and 
Levi  secretly  came  to  Shechem  and  inflicted  punishment 
upon  all  the  men  of  Shechem,  and  slew  all  the  men  they 
found  in  it,  and  did  not  leave  a  single  one  in  it.  4.  They 
killed  all  in  torments,  because  they  had  dishonored  their 
sister  Dmah.  5.  And  thus  ye  shall  not  do  from  now  on 
and  to  eternity  to  defile  a  daughter  of  Israel,  for  in  heaven 
it  was  ordained  over  them  as  a  punishment  that  they 
should  root  out  all  the  men  of  Shechem,  because  they 
committed  a  shame  on- a  daughter  of  Israel,  and  the  Lord 
turned  them  over  into  the  hands  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  that 
they  should  root  them  out  with  the  sword,  and  that  they 
should  inflict  punishment  upon  them ;  and  never  again 
shall  it  be  thus  in  Israel,  that  a  daughter  of  Israel  be  de- 
filed. 6.  And  if  there  is  any  man  in  Israel  who  desires  to 
give  his  daughter  or  his  sister  to  any  man  who  is  of  the 
seed  of  the  Gentiles,  he  shall  surely  die,  and  they  shall 
slay  him  with  stones,  for  he  has  committed  a  sin  and  a 
shame  in  Israel;  and  his  wife  they  shall  burn  with  fire, 
for  she  has  defiled  the  name  of  the  house  of  her  father, 
and  she  shall  be  rooted  out  of  Israel.  7.  And  no  fornica- 
tion or  defilement  shall  be  found  in  Israel  all  the  genera- 
tions of  the  earth;  for  Israel  is  holy  to  the  Lord,  and 
every  man  that  defiles  must  surely  die,  and  they  shall  slay 
him  with  stones.  8.  For  thus  is  it  ordained  and  written 
on  the  tablets  of  heaven  concerning  all  the  seed  of  Israel, 
that  he  who  defiles  must  surely  die,  and  they  shall  slay 
him  with  stones.  9.  And  to  this  law  there  is  no  limit  of 
days  and  no  ceasing  and  no  forgiveness,  but  he  shall  be 
rooted  out  who  defiles  his  daughter,  among  all  Israel,  be- 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  89 

cause  he  has  given  of  his  seed  to  Moloch  and  has  sinned  by 
defiHng.  10.  And  thou,  Moses,  command  the  children  of 
Israel  and  testify  over  them  that  they  shall  not  give  any  of 
their  daughters  to  the  Gentiles  and  that  they  shall  not  take 
any  of  the  daughters  of  the  Gentiles ;  for  this  is  accursed 
before  the  Lord.  ii.  And  on  this  account  I  have  written 
for  thee  in  the  words  of  the  law  all  the  deeds  of  Shechem 
which  they  did  against  Dinah,  and  how  the  children  of  Jacob 
conversed  saying:  "We  will  not  give  our  daughter  to  an 
uncircumcised  man,  for  this  is  disgraceful  to  us."  12.  And  it 
is  disgraceful  to  Israel  to  those  that  give  and  to  those  that 
receive  from  the  Gentiles  any  daughters,  for  it  is  unclean  and 
accursed  to  Israel ;  and  Israel  will  not  be  clean  of  this  un- 
cleanness  of  him  who  has  of  the  daughters  of  the  Gentiles 
for  a  wife,  or  who  has  given  of  his  daughters  to  a  man  who 
is  of  any  of  the  seed  of  the  Gentiles ;  for  there  will  be 
plagues  upon  plagues,  curse  upon  curse,  and  all  punishment 
and  plauges  and  curses  will  come.  13.  And  if  they  do  this 
thing,  and  if  they  blind  their  eyes  to  those  that  commit  un- 
cleanness  and  to  those  that  defile  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord 
and  those  that  profane  his  holy  name,  then  shall  the  whole 
people  together  be  punished,  on  account  of  all  this  unclean- 
ness  and  this  profaneness,  and  there  will  be  no  respect  for 
persons,  and  no  consideration  for  persons,  and  no  taking  of 
fruits  from  his  hands  and  fruit  offering  and  burnt  offering  and 
fat  and  incense  offering  as  a  sweet  savour,  that  it  may  be 
acceptable.  14.  And  every  man  and  woman  in  Israel  who 
defiles  the  sanctuary  shall  be  thus.  15.  And  on  account  of 
this  I  have  commanded  thee,  saying  :  "Testify  this  testimony 
over  Israel :  see  how  it  happened  to  the  Shcchemites  and 
their  sons,  how  they  were  given  into  the  hands  of  the  two 
sons  of  Jacob  and  they  slew  them  in  torments,  and  it  was 
justice  to  them,  and  it  is  written  down  for  justice  concerning 
them." 

Chap.  XXXI.  i.  And  in  the  new  moon  of  the  month, 
Jacob  spoke  to  all  the  men  of  his  house,  saying:  "Purify 
yourselves  and  change  your  clothes,  and  arising  let  us  go  up 


go  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

to  Bethel,  where  I  made  a  vow  when  I  was  fleeing  from  the 
face  of  Esau,  my  brother  ;  because  he  [God]  has  been  with 
me,  and  has  brought  me  into  this  land  in  peace.  2.  And 
remove  the  false  gods  that  are  in  your  midst.  3.  And  tear 
away  the  false  gods  which  are  in  your  ears  and  on  your 
necks,  and  the  idols  which  Rachel  took  from  her  father  La- 
ban,  and  which  .she  gave  all  to  Jacob. "  4.  And  he  burned  and 
broke  and  destroyed  and  hid  them  under  an  oak,  which  was 
in  the  land  of  Shechem.  5.  And  he  ascended  at  the  new 
moon  of  the  seventh  month  to  Bethel.  6.  And  he  built 
an  altar  at  the  place  where  he  had  slept,  and  he  erected  there 
a  monument,  and  he  sent  for  his  father  Isaac  to  come  to  him 
to  the  sacrifice,  and  to  his  mother  Rebecca.  7.  And  Isaac 
said:  "Let  my  son  Jacob  come  and  let  me  see  him  before 
I  die."  8.  And  Jacob  went  to  Isaac  his  father,  and  to  his 
mother  Rebecca,  to  the  house  of  his  father  Abraham,  and 
he  took  two  of  his  sons  with  him,  Levi  and  Judah,  and  came 
to  his  father  Isaac  and  his  mother  Rebecca.  9.  And  Re- 
becca came  out  of  the  tower  to  the  front  of  the  tower,  that 
she  might  kiss  Jacob  and  to  embrace  him,  for  her  spirit  was 
alive  when  she  heard,  "Behold  thy  son  Jacob  has  come!"  and 
she  kissed  him.  10.  And  she  saw  the  two  sons  and  she 
knew  them,  and  said  to  him:  11.  "Are  these  thy  sons,  my 
son?"  and  she  embraced  them  and  kissed  them  and  blessed 
them,  saying:  "In  you  may  the  seed  of  Abraham  be 
honored,  and  may  ye  be  a  blessing  over  the  earth!"  12. 
And  Jacob  went  in  to  his  father  Isaac  to  his  chamber  where 
he  slept,  and  his  two  sons  with  him,  and  he  took  the  liantl 
of  his  father,  and  bending  down  kissed  him,  and  Isaac  clung 
to  the  neck  of  Jacob  his  son,  and  wept  on  his  neck.  13. 
And  the  darkness  left  the  c)x\s  of  Isaac,  and  he  sa\\-  the  two 
sons  of  Jacob,  Levi  and  Judah,  and  he  said,  "Are  these  thy 
sons,  my  son?  for  they  are  like  thee."  14.  And  he  .said  that 
in  truth  they  were  his  sons,  and  "in  truth  thou  secst  that 
they  are  my  sons."  15.  And  they  approached  him,  and 
they  turned,  and  he  kissed  them  and  embraced  them  all 
together.     16.    And  the  .spirit  of  prophecy  fell  into  his  mouth, 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  9I 

and  he  took  Levi  by  the  right  hand,  and  Judah  by  the  left 
hand.  17.  And  he  turned  to  Levi  and  began  to  bless  him 
first,  saying,  "  May  the  Lord  God  of  all,  the  Lord  of  all 
the  worlds,  bless  thee  and  thy  children  in  all  the  worlds.  18. 
And  may  the  Lord  give  thee  and  thy  seed  greatness  and 
great  honor,  and  cause  thee  and  thy  seed  to  approach  to  him 
from  among  all  flesh,  that  they  shall  serve  him  in  his  sanctuary 
like  the  angels  of  the  face,  and  like  the  holy  ones  that  shall 
be  the  seed  of  thy  sons  for  honor  and  greatness  and  holiness: 
and  may  he  make  them  great  in  all  the  worlds.  19.  And  they 
shall  be  princes  and  lords  and  leaders  for  all  the  seed  of  the 
sons  of  Jacob :  they  shall  speak  the  words  of  the  Lord  in 
truth,  and  shall  judge  all  his  judgments  in  truth,  and  speak 
my  ways  to  Jacob,  and  they  shall  appear  to  Lsrael :  may  the 
blessing  of  the  Lord  be  given  into  their  mouths,  that  they 
may  bless  all  the  seed  of  the  beloved.  20.  And  thy  mother 
has  called  thy  name  Levi,  and  in  truth  has  she  thus  called 
thee :  thou  shalt  be  very  near  to  the  Lord,  and  shalt  have 
a  part  with  all  the  sons  of  Jacob:  his  table  shall  be  thine, 
and  thou  and  thy  sons  shall  eat  thereof,  and  to  all  the 
generations  may  thy  table  be  full,  and  may  thy  food  not 
decrease  to  all  eternity.  21.  And  all  those  that  hate  thee 
shall  fall  before  thee,  and  all  thy  enemies  shall  be  rooted 
out  and  be  destroyed,  but  they  that  bless  thee  shall  be 
blessed,  and  all  the  nations  that  curse  thee  shall  be  cursed," 
22.  And  to  Judah  he  spoke:  "May  the  Lord  give  thee 
strength  and  power  that  thou  mayest  tread  down  all  that 
hate  thee:  be  thou  a  prince,  thou  and  one  of  thy  sons  over 
the  sons  of  Jacob.  23.  May  thy  name  and  the  name  of  thy 
sons  be  one  that  goes  and  encompasses  the  whole  earth 
and  the  cities ;  then  shall  the  Gentiles  fear  thy  face,  and 
all  the  nations  shall  tremble  and  all  the  people  shake. 
24.  In  thee  let  there  be  help  to  Jacob,  and  in  thee  may 
deliverance  be  found  for  Israel.  25.  And  if  thou  sittest 
on  the  throne  of  the  honor  of  thy  righteousness,  there  shall  be 
great  peace  to  all  the  seed  of  the  sons  of  the  beloved.  26. 
He    that  blesscth  thee  shall  be  blessed,   and    all    that  hate 


92  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

and  trouble  thee,  and  those  that  curse  thee,  shall  be  rooted 
out  and  be  destro\'ed  from  the  earth,  and  shall  be  accursed." 
27.  And  turning  around  he  kissed  him  again  and  embraced 
him  and  rejoiced  greatly;  for  he  had  seen  sons  of  Jacob,  who 
was  his  son  in  truth.  28.  And  he  came  from  between  his 
feet,  and  fell  down  and  prostrated  himself,  and  he  blessed 
them,  and  he  remained  with  Isaac,  his  father,  on  that  night, 
and  they  ate  and  drank  with  joy.  29.  And  he  caused  the 
two  sons  of  Jacob  to  sleep,  the  one  at  his  right,  the  other 
at  his  left,  and  it  was  accounted  to  him  for  righteousness. 
30.  And  Jacob  told  his  father  everything  during  the  night, 
how  the  Lord  had  been  merciful  to  him,  and  how  he  had 
prospered  him  in  all  his  ways  and  had  protected  him  from 
all  evil.  31.  And  Isaac  blessed  the  God  of  his  father  Ab- 
raham, who  had  not  ceased  his  mercy  and  righteousness 
from  the  sons  of  his  servant  Isaac.  32,  And  in  the  morning 
Jacob  told  his  father  Isaac  of  the  vow  he  had  made  to  the 
Lord,  and  of  the  vision  he  had  seen,  and  how  he  had  built 
an  altar,  and  that  everything  was  ready  for  the  sacrifice  be- 
fore the  Lord,  as  he  had  vowed,  and  that  he  had  come  to 
place  him  upon  an  ass.  33.  And  Isaac  said  to  his  son 
Jacob:  "  I  am  not  able  to  go  with  thee,  for  I  am  old  and 
not  able  to  endure  the  way:  go,  my  son,  in  peace,  for  I  am 
one  hundred  and  sixty-five  years  old  to-day;  I  am  not  able 
to  travel.  34.  Take  thy  mother  and  let  her  go  with  thee. 
35.  And  I  know,  my  son,  that  thou  hast  come  on  my  ac- 
count ;  and  may  this  day  be  blessed  upon  which  thou  hast, 
seen  me  alive  and  I  have  seen  thee,  my  son.  36.  Prosper, 
and  fulfil  the  vow  which  thou  hast  vowed,  and  do  not  delay 
thy  vow,  for  thou  must  seek  the  vow.  37.  And  now  hasten 
to  fulfil  thy  vow;  and  may  he  be  i)leascd  who  has  made  all 
things,  to  whom  thou  hast  made  thy  vow."  38.  And  he 
said  to  Rebecca:  "Go  with  Jacob,  thy  son."  39.  And  Re^ 
becca  went  with  Jacob,  and  Deborah  with  her,  and  they  came 
to  liethel.  40.  And  Jacob  remembered  the  prayer  with 
which  his  father  had  blessed  him  and  his  two  sons,  Levi  and 
Judah,  and  he  rejoiced  and  blessed   the   God   of  his  fathers, 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  93 

Abraham  and  Isaac.  41.  And  he  said:  "Now  I  know 
that  I  have  an  eternal  hope,  and  my  sons  also  before  the  God 
of  all ;  and  thus  it  is  ordained  concerning  the  two,  and  they 
have  placed  it  as  a  testimony  for  them  to  eternity,  upon  the 
tablets  of  heaven  as  Isaac  blessed  them. 

Chap.  XXXII,  r.  And  he  remained  in  that  night  in 
Bethel,  and  Levi  dreamed  that  they  had  appointed  and  made 
him  priest,  and  his  sons  to  eternity,  priests  of  the  Most  High 
God  ;  and  he  awoke  from  his  sleep  and  blessed  the  Lord. 
2.  And  Jacob  started  early  in  the  morning,  on  the  fourteenth 
of  this  month,  and  the  tenth  of  all  that  came  with  him  of  men 
and  beasts,  and  gold,  and  all  possessions  and  clothing.  3. 
And  in  those  days  Rachel  became  pregnant  with  her  son  Ben- 
jamin, and  Jacob  counted  his  sons  from  him  on  and  upwards  ; 
and  the  portion  of  the  Lord  fell  upon  Levi,  and  his  father 
clothed  him  with  the  garments  of  the  priesthood,  and  filled 
his  hands.  4.  And  on  the  fifteenth  of  this  month  he  brought 
to  the  altar  fifteen  oxen  from  among  the  cattle,  twenty-eight 
rams,  and  forty-nine  sheep,  and  sixty  lambs,  and  twenty-nine 
young  goats,  as  a  burnt  sacrifice  on  the  altar,  and  as  an  ac- 
ceptable gift  for  a  sweet  savor  to  the  Lord  God.  5.  This 
was  the  fulfilment  of  the  vow  he  had  made  to  give  the  tenth  ; 
together  with  their  fruit  and  their  drink  offerings.  6.  And 
when  the  fire  had  consumed  them,  he  scattered  frankincense 
over  them  on  the  fire;  and  for  thank  offering  two  oxen,  and  four 
rams,  and  four  sheep,  and  a  sheep  of  two  years,  and  two  young 
goats  ;  thus  he  did  distributing  over  seven  days.  7.  And  he 
remained  there  eating,  and  all  his  sons  and  his  men  in  joy 
seven  days,  and  he  blessed  and  thanked  the  Lord,  who  had 
delivered  him  from  all  his  trouble,  and  to  whom  he  had  fulfilled 
his  vow.  8.  And  he  took  the  tenth  of  all  the  clean  animals 
and  made  a  burnt  offering  ;  and  the  unclean  animals  he  gave 
to  his  son,  and  the  men  he  gave  him,  and  Levi  exercised  his 
priestly  office  in  Bethel  before  Jacob,  his  father,  in  preference 
to  his  ten  brothers,  and  he  was  there  a  priest,  and  Jacob  ful- 
filled to  him  his  vows :  and  thus  he  gave  the  tenth  again  to 
the  Lord,  and  sanctified  it,  and  it  was  holy  for  him.     9.  And 


94  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

on  thrs  account  it  is  ordained  on  the  tablets  of  heaven  as  a  law 
concerning  the  giving  of  a  second  tenth — to  eat  before  the 
Lord  at  the  place  upon  which  he  has  chosen  his  name  to 
dwell  year  after  year,  and  to  this  law  there  is  no  limit  of  day 
to  eternity.  lo.  And  this  ordinance  is  written  to  do  it  year 
after  year  for  eating  a  second  tenth  before  the  Lord  in  the 
place  which  he  has  chosen,  and  nothing  shall  be  left  over  from 
it  to  the  following  year.  1 1.  For  in  its  year  shall  the  seed  be 
eaten  until  the  seed  of  the  year  and  the  wine  change  their 
days  to  the  days  of  wine  and  oil,  and  to  the  days  of  oil  in  its 
season.  12.  And  all  that  is  left  thereof  and  which  becomes 
old,  let  it  be  considered  contaminated  ;  burn  it  with  fire,  for 
it  is  unclean.  13.  And  thus  they  shall  eat  together  in  the 
sanctuary,  and  shall  not  let  it  become  old.  14.  And  all  the 
tenth  of  oxen  and  sheep  shall  be  holy  to  the  Lord,  and  shall 
belong  to  his  priests,  who  will  eat  it  before  him  from  year  to 
year  ;  for  thus  is  it  ordained  and  engraven  concerning  the 
tenth  on  the  tablets  of  heaven.  15.  And  in  the  following 
night,  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  this  month,  Jacob  planned 
that  he  would  build  this  place  and  erect  a  wall  around  it,  and 
that  he  would  sanctify  it  and  make  it  holy  to  eternity,  for 
himself  and  his  children  after  him.  16.  And  the  Lord  ap- 
peared to  him  in  the  night,  and  blessed  him, and  said  to  him  : 
"Thou  shalt  not  call  thy  name  Jacob  only,  but  Israel  also 
shall  thy  name  be  called."  17.  And  he  said  to  him  again: 
"  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  who  has  created  heaven  and  earth  ; 
and  I  will  increa.se  and  multiply  thee  exceedingly,  and  kings 
shall  come  from  thee,  and  they  shall  rule  over  all,  wherever 
the  foot  of  the  sons  of  man  has  trod.  18.  And  I  will  give  to 
thy  seed  all  the  land  under  heaven,  and  they  shall  rule  over 
all  the  nations  as  they  desire,  and  after  that  they  will  gather 
to  themselves  the  whole  earth,  and  shall  inherit  the  World." 
19.  And  he  completed  conversing  with  him,  and  ascended 
from  there,  and  Jacob  looked  until  he  ascended  to  heaven.  20. 
And  he  saw  in  a  vision  of  the  night,  and  behold  an  angel  de- 
scended from  heaven  with  seven  tablets  in  his  hands,  and  he 
gave  them  to  Jacob,  and  he  read  all  that  was  written  on  them, 


THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES.  95 

what  would  happen  to  himself  and  his  sons  in  all  the  years. 
21.  And  he  showed  him  all  things  that  were  written  on  the 
tablets,  and  said  to  him:  "Do  not  build  up  this  place,  and 
do  not  make  it  an  eternal  sanctuary,  and  do  not  dwell  here, 
for  this  is  not  the  place.  22.  Go  to  the  house  of  Abraham, 
thy  father,  and  dwell  there  with  Isaac,  thy  father,  until  the 
day  of  the  death  of  thy  father.  23.  For  in  Egypt  thou  shalt 
die  in  peace,  and  in  this  land  thou  shalt  be  buried  in  honor, 
in  the  grave  of  thy  fathers,  with  Abraham  and  Isaac.  24. 
Fear  not;  for  as  thou  hast  seen  and  read  it,  thus  shall  it  all  be. 

25.  But  write  thou  down  all    as  thou  hast    seen  and  read." 

26.  And  Jacob  said:  "How  can  I  remember  all  as  I  have 
seen  and  read  it?"  27.  And  he  said  to  him  :  "  I  will  recall 
it  all  for  thee."  28.  And  he  went  up  from  there:  and  he 
awoke  from  his  sleep  and  remembered  all  that  he  had  seen 
and  read,  and  he  wrote  down  all  the  words  that  he  had  read 
and  that  he  had  seen.  29.  And  he  stayed  there  yet  another 
day,  and  sacrificed  there  according  to  all  that  had  been  or- 
dained on  former  days,  and  called  its  name  "  addition,"  for 
this  day  was  added  ;  and  the  first  day  he  called  "  the  festival." 
30.  And  thus  it  appeared  that  it  would  be,  and  it  is  written 
on  the  tablets  of  heaven  ;  and  on  this  account  it  was  revealed 
to  him,  that  he  should  celebrate  it,  and  that  he  should  add  it 
to  the  seven  days  of  the  festival,  and  its  name  was  called 
"  addition,"  because  it  comes  to  the  seven  days;  and  thus  is 
the  festival  by  number  of  days  of  the  year.  31.  And  in  the 
night  of  the  twenty-third  of  this  month,  Deborah,  the  nurse 
of  Rebecca,  died,  and  he  buried  her  below  the  city  under  the 
oak  of  the  river,  and  called  the  name  of  this  river  "the  river 
of  Deborah, "  and  of  the  oak,  ' '  lamentation  oak  of  Deborah. " 

32.  And  Rebecca  went  and  returned  to  her  house,  to  Isaac, 
his  father ;  and  Jacob  sent  by  her  rams  and  calves  and  sheep, 
that  she  should   prepare  for  his  father  a  meal,  as  he  loved  it, 

33.  And  he  too  went  after  his  mother  until  he  came  to  the 
land  of  Kebratan,  and  he  dwelt  there.  34.  And  Rachel  in 
that  night  gave  birth  to  a  son,  and  called  his  name  "Son  of 
my  sorrow,"  for  she  suffered  in  giving  birth;  but   his   father 


96  THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES. 

called  him  Benjamin,  on  the  eleventh  of  the  eighth  month,  in 
the  first  year  of  the  sixth  week  of  this  jubilee.  35.  And  Ra- 
chel died  there,  and  was  buried  in  the  land  of  Ephrathali,  that 
is,  Bethlehem  ;  and  Jacob  erected  upon  the  grave  of  Rachel  a 
column,  on  the  road  abov'e  her  grave. 

Chap.  XXXIII.  i.  And  Jacob  went  and  dwelt  toward  the 
north  at  Magdelraep.  2.  And  he  went  to  his  father  Isaac, 
he  and  Leah,  his  wife,  on  the  new  moon  of  the  tenth  month. 
3.  And  Reuben  saw  Balla,  the  maid  of  Rachel,  the  concubine 
of  his  father,  while  she  was  bathing  in  water  at  a  hidden  place, 
and  he  loved  her.  4.  And  he  hid  himself  at  night,  and  he 
entered  the  house  of  Balla  at  night,  and  found  her  lying  alone 
on  her  bed,  and  sleeping,  and  he  lay  down  with  her.  5.  And 
she  awoke,  and  saw,  and  behold,  Reuben  was  lying  with  her 
on  the  bed ;  and  she  uncovered  the  edge  and  seized  him  and 
cried  out,  and  discovered  that  it  was  Reuben,  and  she  was 
ashamed  on  his  account,  and  let  go  her  hand  from  him,  and 
he  fled.  6.  And  she  lamented  on  account  of  this  thing  ex- 
ceedingly, and  did  not  mention  it  to  anybody.  7.  And  when 
Jacob  returned  and  sought  her,  she  said  to  him  :  "I  am  not 
clean  for  thee,  for  I  have  been  defiled  for  thee,  for  Reuben 
has  defiled  me  and  lay  with  me  in  the  night,  and  I  was  asleep 
and  did  not  discover  it  until  he  uncovered  the  edge,  and  he 
lay  with  me."  8.  And  Jacob  was  very  angry  at  Reuben  that 
he  had  lain  with  Italia,  for  he  had  uncovered  the  covering  of  his 
father ;  and  Jacob  did  not  approach  her  any  more,  because 
Reuben  had  defiled  her,  for  his  deed  was  very  wicked,  for  it 
is  accursed  before  the  Lord.  9.  On  this  account  it  is  written 
and  ordained  on  the  tablets  of  heaven,  that  a  man  shall  not 
sleep  with  the  wife  of  his  father,  and  that  he  shall  not  uncover 
the  covering  of  his  father,  for  this  is  unclean  ;  they  must 
surely  die  together,  the  man  that  lies  with  the  wife  of  his 
father,  and  the  woman,  for  they  do  an  unclean  thing  in  the 
land.  10.  And  there  shall  be  nothing  unclean  before  our 
God  in  the  nation  he  has  chosen  for  himself  as  a  kingdom. 
II.  And  again  it  is  written  :  "Cursed  be  the  one  that  lieth 
with  the  wife  of  his  father,  for  he  hath  uncovered  the  shame  of 


THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES.  9/ 

his  father,  and  all  the  holy  ones  of  the  Lord  shall  say  :  'Thus 
belt!  Thus  be  it ! '  "  12.  And  thou,  Moses,  command  the 
children  of  Israel  that  they  observe  this  word,  for  the  punish- 
ment is  death,  and  it  is  unclean,  and  there  is  no  forgiveness  to 
atone  for  a  man  that  does  this  wicked  deed,  except  slaying 
and  stoning  him  to  death,  or  rooting  him  out  from  amongst 
the  people  of  our  God.  13.  For  there  shall  not  remain  alive 
on  earth  a  single  day  any  man  that  does  this  in  Israel,  for  it  is 
accursed  and  unclean.  14.  And  let  them  not  say  that  Reu- 
ben lived  and  was  forgiven  that  he  had  slept  with  the  concu- 
bine of  his  father,  and  she  too,  although  her  husband,  Jacob, 
bis  father,  was  yet  alive.  15.  For  he  had  not  yet  revealed 
the  ordinance  and  the  punishment  and  the  law  in  its  entire 
completeness  ;  for  in  tl>y  days  it  is  as  a  law  since  his  days  and 
as  a  law  to  eternity,  to  the  generation  of  eternity  ;  and  there  is 
notany  passing  of  days  to  this  law,  nor  any  forgiveness  to  him, 
except  that  they  both  be  rooted  out  together  from  the  midst 
of  the  people  :  on  the  day  on  which  they  do  it  they  shall  slay 
them.  16.  And  thou,  Moses,  write  it  down  for  Israel  that 
they  observe  it  according  to  these  words,  and  let  them  not 
commit  a  mortal  sin,  for  the  Lord  our  God  is  a  judge  who  has 
no  regard  for  persons  and  receives  no  presents.  17.  And  tell 
them  these  words  of  the  ordinance,  that  they  obey  and  pre- 
serve them,  and  watch  themselves,  and  be  not  destroyed  and 
rooted  out  of  the  land  ;  for  unclean  and  an  abomination  and 
contamination  and  profanation  are  all  they  that  do  this  on  the 
earth  before  our  God.  18.  And  there  is  no  sin  on  earth 
greater  than  fornication,  which  they  commit  on  the  earth,  for 
Israel  is  a  nation  holy  unto  God,  and  a  nation  of  inheritance 
for  its  God,  and  a  nation  of  priesthood  and  royalty  and  a  pos- 
session, and  no  one  shall  appear  thus  unclean  in  the  midst  of 
the  holy  people.  19.  And  in  the  third  year  of  this  sixth  week 
Jacob  and  all  his  sons  went  and  dwelt  in  the  house  of  Abra- 
ham, near  Isaac,  his  father,  and  Rebecca,  his  mother.  20. 
And  these  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Jacob  :  the  first  bore 
Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  Judah,  Issachar,  Zebulun,  the  sons 
of  Leah  ;  and  the  sons  of  Rachel,  Joseph  and  l^cnjamin  ;  and 


98  THE    BOOK    OF    JUUILEES. 

the  sons  of  Balla,  Dan  and  Naphtali  ;  and  the  sons  of  Zalapha, 
Gad  and  Asur  ;  and  Dinah,  the  daughter  of  Leah,  the  only 
daughter  of  Jacob.  21.  And  going,  they  bowed  down  before 
Isaac  and  Rebecca  ;  and  when  they  saw  them,  they  blessed 
Jacob  and  all  his  sons.  22.  And  Isaac  rejoiced  exceedingly 
that  he  saw  the  sons  of  Jacob,  his  youngest  son,  and  he 
blessed  them. 

Chap.  XXXIV.  i.  And  in  the  sixth  year  of  this  week  of 
the  forty-fourth  jubilee,  Jacob  sent  his  sons  to  pasture  his 
sheep,  and  his  servants  with  them  to  the  pasture  of  Shechem. 
2.  And  the  seven  kings  of  the  Amorites  assembled  themselves 
against  them  to  slay  them,  hiding  themselves  under  the  trees, 
and  to  take  away  their  cattle  and  their  wives.  3.  And  Jacob 
and  Levi  and  Judah  and  Joseph  were  at  the  house  where 
Isaac  their  father  was,  for  his  spirit  was  sad,  and  they  could 
not  leave  him  ;  and  Benjamin  was  the  youngest,  and  on  this 
account  remained  with  his  father.  4.  And  the  kings  of  Tapho 
and  of  Azesa  and  Saragon  and  Selo  and  Gacz,  and  the  king 
of  Betoron  and  of  Manisakcr  came,  and  all  those  that  dwell  in 
those  mountains,  who  dwell  in  the  woods  of  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan. 5.  And  they  announced  this  to  Jacob,  saying:  "Be- 
hold the  kings  of  the  Amorites  have  surrounded  thy  sons  in 
order  to  rob  their  herds."  6.  And  he  arose  from  his  house, 
he  and  his  three  sons  and  the  young  men  of  his  father,  and 
went  forth  and  went  against  them,  eight  hundred  men  who 
carried  swords.  7.  And  they  slew  them  on  the  fields  of  She- 
chem, and  pursued  those  that  lied  and  slew  them  witli  the 
edge  of  the  sword,  and  slew  them  at  Aresa  and  Thapha  and 
Seragen  and  Selo  and  Amanisakero  and  Gagaas.  8.  And 
he  collected  his  herds;  and  he  was  more  powerful  than  those 
and  ordained  a  tax  over  them,  that  they  should  give  him  trib- 
ute, fine  fruits  of  their  land,  and  he  built  Reuben  and  Tam- 
natares.  9.  And  lie  returned  in  peace,  and  made  peace  with 
them,  and  they  were  his  servants  until  the  day  he  and  his 
sons  descended  down  to  the  land  of  ICgypt.  10.  And  in  the 
seventh  year  of  this  week  lie  sent  Josejjh  to  learn  about  the 
safety  of  his  brothers,  from  his   house   to  Sheclicm,  and  he 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  99 

found  them  in  the  land  of  Dothan.  ii.  And  they  waylaid 
him  and  made  a  plot  against  him  to  slay  him  ;  and  changing, 
they  sold  him  to  Ishmaelite  merchants,  and  they  brought  him 
to  Egypt,  and  sold  him  to  Potiphar,  the  eunuch  of  Pharaoh, 
the  head  cook,  the  one  that  sacrificed  in  the  city  of  Elew. 
12.  And  the  sons  of  Jacob  killed  a  young  goat,  and  dipped 
the  clothes  of  Joseph  in  its  blood,  and  sent  it  to  their  father 
Jacob.  13.  And  it  was  on  the  tenth  of  the  seventh  month, 
and  they  stayed  all  this  day  until  the  evening,  and  they 
brought  it  to  him  ;  and  he  became  fevered  in  his  grief  unto 
death,  and  said :  "A  wild  beast  has  devoured  Joseph  ;  "  and 
on  that  day  all  the  men  of  his  house  were  with  him,  and 
mourned  and  lamented  with  him  all  the  day.  14.  And  his 
sons  and  his  daughter  arose  to  comfort  him,  but  he  could  not 
be  comforted  on  account  of  his  son.  15.  And  on  that  day 
Balla  heard  that  Joseph  had  been  killed,  and  she  died  in  her 
grief,  and  she  was  living  at  Kertaretef;  and  Dinah,  his 
daughter,  died  also  after  Joseph  had  been  slain.  i6.  This 
threefold  sorrow  came  over  Israel  in  one  month.  17.  And 
he  buried  Balla  opposite  the  grave  of  Rachel,  and  Dinah,  his 
daughter,  he  also  buried  there.  18.  And  he  continued 
mourning  for  Joseph  one  year,  and  did  not  cease,  saying  :  "I 
will  descend  into  the  grave  grieving  for  my  son."  19.  And 
on  this  account  it  is  ordained  for  the  children  of  Israel,  that 
they  shall  mourn  on  the  tenth  of  the  seventh  month,  on  the 
day  when  they  brought  the  sad  news  concerning  Joseph  to 
his  father  Jacob,  that  on  it  pardon  should  be  sought  by  the 
death  of  a  young  goat,  on  the  tenth  of  the  seventh  month, 
once  a  year,  for  their  sins ;  for  they  had  grieved  the  heart  of 
their  father  on  account  of  his  son  Joseph.  20.  ^Vnd  this  day 
has  been  ordained  that  they  shall  lament  on  it  over  their  sins, 
and  on  account  of  all  their  transgressions,  and  on  account  of 
their  error,  that  they  shall  cleanse  themselves  on  this  day 
once  a  year.  21.  And  after  the  death  of  Joseph  the  sons  of 
Jacob  took  wives  to  themselves  :  first,  the  name  of  the  wife 
of  Reuben  is  Ada  ;  secondly,  the  name  of  the  wife  of  Simeon 
is  Adiba,  a  Canaanite  woman  ;   third,  the  name  of  the  wife  of 


lOO  THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES. 

Leva  is  Melka,  from  among  the  daughters  of  Aram,  from  the 
seed  of  the  sons  of  Taram  ;  fourth,  the  name  of  the  wife  of 
Judah  is  Betasuel,  a  Canaanite  woman  ;  fifth,  the  name  of  the 
wife  of  Issachar  is  Jesakor  Hezka  ;  sixth,  the  name  of  the  wife 
of  Zebuhin  is  Niiman  ;  seventh,  tlie  name  of  the  wife  of  Dan, 
Egla;  eighth,  the  name  of  the  wife  of  Naphtah  is  Rasua,  of 
Mesopotamia;  nintii,  the  name  of  the  wife  of  Gad  is  Miik  ; 
and  tenth,  name  of  the  wife  of  Asur  is  Ijon  ;  eleventh,  the 
name  of  the  wife  of  Joseph  is  Asneth,  an  Egyptian  woman  ; 
twelfth,  the  name  of  the  wife  of  Benjamin  is  Ijoska.  22.  And 
Simeon  repented  and  took  a  second  wife  from  Mesopotamia, 
like  his  brothers. 

Chap.  XXXV.  i.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the  first  week 
of  the  forty-fifth  jubilee,  Rebecca  called  her  son  Jacob  and 
gave  him  command  concerning  his  father  and  concerning  his 
brother,  that  he  should  honor  them  all  the  days  of  the  life  of 
Jacob.  2.  iVnd  Jacob  said  :  "  I  will  do  all  thou  commandest 
me,  for  this  thing  will  be  honor  and  greatness  to  me  and 
righteousness  before  the  Lord,  that  I  should  honor  them.  3. 
And  thou,  my  mother,  knowest  me  from  the  time  I  was  born 
until  this  day,  all  my  deeds  and  everything  that  is  in  my 
heart,  that  always  I  think  good  concerning  all.  4.  And  how 
should  I  not  do  this  which  thou  hast  commanded  me,  that  I 
should  honor  m)'  father  and  my  brother?  5.  Tell  me,  my 
mother,  what  perversity  thou  seest  in  me  ?  6.  And  I  am  far 
removed  from  him,  and  gentleness  is  in  me."  7.  And  she  said 
to  him  :  "  My  son,  all  m)'  da}'s  I  have  not  seen  in  thee  any 
perversity,  and  no  depraved  actions,  but  righteousness.  8. 
But  in  truth  I  tell  thee,  my  son,  I  will  die  in  this  year,  and 
will  not  get  beyond  this  year  in  my  life,  for  I  saw  in  a  dream 
the  day  of  my  death,  that  I  should  not  live  beyond  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty -five  years.  9.  And  behold,  I  have  coinpletcd 
all  the  days  of  my  life  which  I  was  to  live."  10.  And  Jacob 
laughed  at  the  words  oi  his  mother,  because  she  said  that  she 
would  die,  and  she  was  sitting  opj^osite  him  with  her  strength 
upon  her,  without  any  decrease  of  strength,  for  she  went  in 
and  out,  and  saw,  and  her  teeth  were  strong,  and  no  ailment 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  lOI 

had  touched  her  all  the  days  of  her  life.  1 1.  And  Jacob  said 
to  her:  "  Happy  am  I,  my  mother,  if  my  days  approach  the 
days  of  thy  life,  and  my  strength  abide  in  me  as  thy  strength ; 
and  thou  wilt  not  die,  for  in  vain  dost  thou  speak  with  me 
concerning  thy  death."  12.  And  she  went  in  to  Isaac,  and 
said  to  him  :  "One  petition  I  ask  of  thee:  let  Esau  swear 
that  he  will  not  harm  Jacob,  and  will  not  persecute  him  in 
enmity,  for  thou  knowest  the  thoughts  of  Esau,  that  he  was 
terrible  from  his  youth  on,  and  there  is  not  gentleness  in  him  ; 
for  he  desires  after  thy  death  to  kill  him.  13.  And  thou  know- 
est how  he  has  done  all  the  days  from  the  day  when  Jacob, 
his  brother,  went  to  Haran  to  this  day,  that  he  has  left  us  with 
his  whole  heart,  and  does  evil  with  us.  14.  He  has  collected 
thy  flocks,  and  all  thy  possessions  he  robs  from  before  thy 
face,  and  when  we  entreated  and  asked  for  what  was  ours,  he 
did  as  a  man  that  practises  usury  on  us.  15.  And  he  is  bitter 
at  thee  because  thou  didst  bless  that  perfect  and  righteous  son 
Jacob;  for  in  him  there  is  no  evil,  but  goodness.  16.  And 
since  he  came  from  Haran  to  this  day,  he  has  not  deprived  us 
of  the  least ;  but  he  brings  us  everything  in  its  time  and  al- 
ways, and  he  rejoices  in  his  whole  heart  when  we  take  any- 
thing from  his  hands,  and  he  blesses  us  and  does  not  separate 
from  us  since  he  came  from  Haran  to  the  present  day,  and  he 
lives  with  us  ever  in  our  house,  honoring  us."  17.  And  Isaac 
said  to  her:  "  I  know  and  I  see  the  deeds  of  Jacob  with  us, 
that  with  all  his  heart  he  honors  us  ;  but  I  loved  Esau  formerly 
more  than  Jacob,  on  account  of  his  birth  ;  but  now  I  love 
Jacob  more  than  Esau,  because  he  has  inci eased  in  evil  do- 
ings, and  there  is  no  righteousness  in  him,  for  all  his  ways  are 
injustice  and  violence,  and  there  is  no  righteousness  in 
him  at  all.  18.  And  now  my  heart  trembles  concerning 
all  his  deeds,  and  neither  he  nor  his  seed  shall  abide,  for 
they  shall  be  destroyed  from  the  earth,  and  they  shall 
be  rooted  out  from  under  heaven  ;  for  he  has  deserted  the 
God  of  Abraham,  and  goes  after  his  women  after  un- 
cleanness  and  after  error,  he  and  his  children.  19.  v\nd 
thou  dost  tell  me  that  I  shall   make  him   swear   not  to  kill 


102  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

Jacob:  even  if  he  swears  he  will  not  keep  to  his  oath, 
and  will  not  do  good  but  evil.  20.  And  if  he  desires  to  kill 
his  brother  Jacob,  he  shall  be  given  into  the  hands  of  Jacob 
and  shall  not  escape  from  his  hands,  but  fall  into  his  hands. 
21.  And  thou  fear  not  concerning  Jacob,  for  the  watchman 
of  Jacob  is  great  and  powerful,  and  honored  and  worshipped 
above  the  watchman  of  Esau."  22.  And  Rebecca  sent  for 
and  called  Esau,  and  he  came  to  her,  and  she  said  to  him, 
"One  prayer  I  have,  my  son,  which  I  ask  of  thee,  and 
grant  it,  that  thou  mayest  do  \vhat  I  ask  of  thee,  my  son." 
23.  And  he  said  to  her:  "I  will  do  all  that  thou  tellest 
me,  and  will  not  refuse  anything  that  thou  askest. "  24. 
And  she  said  to  him:  "I  ask  of  thee  that  the  day  I  die 
thou  wilt  take  me  and  bury  me  near  the  grave  of  Sarah,  the 
mother  of  thy  father,  and  that  thou  and  thy  brother  Jacob  ' 
will  love  each  other,  and  that  neither  wn'U  undertake  evil 
against  his  brother,  but  love  him,  so  that  ye  may  be  pros- 
perous, my  son,  and  be  honored  in  the  midst  of  the  land 
and  that  an  enemy  may  not  rejoice  over  you,  and  that  ye 
may  be  a  blessing  and  mercy  before  the  ej^es  of  all  that 
love  you."  25.  And  he  said:  "I  will  do  all  that  thou  sayest 
to  me,  and  I  will  bury  thee  on  the  day  of  thy  death  near 
Sarah,  the  mother  of  thy  father,  as  thou  lovest  her  bones, 
that  they  shall  be  near  to  thy  bones.  26.  But 
Jacob,  my  brother,  I  will  love  above  all  flesh,  and  I  have 
no  other  brother  in  all  the  world  except  him  alone,  and  this 
is  not  a  great  thing  for  me  that  I  shall  love  him,  for  he  is  my 
brother,  and  tog(;ther  we  were  sown  in  thy  wcmib,  and  to- 
gether we  came  forth  from  thee,  and  if  1  do  not  love  my 
brother,  whom  shall  1  love?  27.  And  I  then  beg  of  thee 
that  thou  wilt  exhort  Jacob  concerning  me  and  concerning 
my  children,  for  I  know  that  he  will  rule  as  king  over  me 
and  over  my  children,  for  on  the  day  when  my  father  blessed 
him,  he  made  him  the  higher  and  me  the  lower.  28.  And 
I  swear  to  thee  that  I  will  love  him  and  will  not  seek  out  evil 
against  him  all  the  days  of  my  life,  but  only  good."  29, 
And  he  swore  to  her  concerning  this  whole  matter.    30.  And 


THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES.  IO3 

she  called  Jacob  before  the  eyes  of  Esau,  and  commanded 
him  according  to  the  words  she  had  spoken  with  Esau.  31. 
And  he  said,  "  I  will  do  thy  pleasure,  promising  that  no  evil 
shall  proceed  from  me  and  from  my  sons  against  Esau,  my 
brother,  and  nothing  shall  be  shown  him  except  love."  32. 
And  they  ate  and  drank,  she  and  her  sons,  on  this  day,  and 
she  died,  three  jubilees  and  one  week  and  one  year  old,  in 
this  night,  and  her  two  sons,  Esau  and  Jacob,  buried  her  in 
the  cave  near  Sarah,  the  mother  of  their  father. 

Chap.  XXXVI.  i.  In  the  sixth  week  of  this  year,  Isaac 
called  his  two  sons,  Esau  and  Jacob,  and  they  came  to  him, 
and  he  said  to  them  :  "  My  sons,  I  shall  go  the  way  of  my 
father  into  the  house  of  eternity,  where  my  fathers  are.  2. 
Bury  me  near  to  Abraham,  my  father,  in  the  south  cave  in 
the  field  of  Ephron,  the  Hittite,  which  Abraham  bought  as 
a  burial  place;  there  bury  me.  3.  And  this  I  command  you. 
my  sons,  that  ye  practise  righteousness  and  rectitude  on  the 
earth,  so  that  the  Lord  may  bring  upon  you  all  that  the  Lord 
said  that  he  would  do  to  Abraham  and  to  his  seed.  4.  And 
be  ye  to  each  other  as  loving  brothers  as  a  man  that  loves 
himself,  and  each  seeking  for  his  brother  that  which  is  good 
for  him,  and  acting  together  from  the  heart  upon  earth,  and 
loving  each  other  as  yourselves.  5.  And  concerning  the 
matter  of  idols,  I  command  ye,  that  ye  cast  them  away  and 
hold  them  in  abomination,  and  hate  them,  and  that  ye  do 
not  love  them,  for  they  are  full  of  deception  for  those  that 
worship  them,  and  for  those  that  bow  down  to  them.  6. 
And  remember,  O  my  sons,  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham, 
your  father,  and  how  I  too  worshipped  him  and  served  him 
in  truth,  that  he  may  increase  you  in  joy  and  may  enlarge 
your  seed  like  the  stars  of  the  heaven  in  multitude,  and 
plant  you  upon  the  earth  as  a  plant  of  righteousness,  which 
is  not  rooted  out  to  all  the  generations  of  eternity.  7.  And 
now  I  will  make  you  swear  a  great  oath,  for  there  is  no  oath 
greater  than  the  one  by  the  glorious  and  honored  and  great 
name  of  him  who  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth  and  all 
things  together,  that  ye  will  fear  and   worship  him,  and  that 


I04  THE    BOOK    OF    JURILEES. 

each  will  love  his  brother  in  tenderness  and  in  truth,  and  that 
neither  will  wish  evil  against  his  brother,  from  now  on  and 
to  eternity,  all  the  days  of  your  life,  that  ye  may  be  pros- 
perous in  all  N'our  deeds,  and  be  not  destroyed.  8.  And  if 
either  of  you  devises  evil  against  his  brother,  know  from 
now  on,  that  every  one  that  devises  evil  against  his  brother 
shall  fall  into  his  hands,  and  shall  be  rooted  out  of  the  land 
of  the  living,  and  his  seed  shall  be  destroyed  from  under 
heaven.  9.  And  on  that  day  of  cursing  and  turbulence  he 
[God]  will  also  burn  with  devouring  fire,  as  he  burned  Sodom, 
thus  also  will  he  burn  his  land  and  his  city  and  all  that  is  his, 
and  he  will  be  erased  out  of  the  book  of  the  discipline  of 
the  sons  of  men,  and  shall  not  ascend  into  the  book  of  life, 
for  he  shall  be  destroyed  and  shall  depart  to  the 
eternal  curse,  so  that  for  all  days  their  punish- 
ments may  be  renewed  in  hate  and  in  cursing, 
and  in  wrath,  and  in  torments,  and  in  fury,  and  in  plagues, 
and  in  sickness  to  eternity.  IQ.  And  1  say  and  testify  to 
you,  my  sons,  how  that  my  judgment  will  come  upon  the 
man  who  desires  to  do  evil  against  his  brother."  11.  And 
he  divided  all  the  possessions  he  had  between  the  two  on  that 
day,  and  he  gave  the  preference  to  him  that  was  born  first,' 
both  the  tower  and  all  around  it,  and  everything  that  Abra- 
ham possessed  around  the  well  of  the  oath.  12.  And  he 
said:  "This  preference  shall  be  his  who  was  born  first."  13. 
And  Ksau  said:  "I  have  sold  and  given  my  age  to  Jacob,  to 
him  it  has  been  given,  and  I  will  not  .say  anything  more  about 
it.  not  one  word,  for  it  is  passed."  14.  And  Lsaac  said: 
"May  blessing  rest  upon  you,  my  sons,  and  upon  your 
seed  this  day,  for  ye  have  given  me  rest,  and  my  heart  is  not 
sad  on  account  of  the  birthright,  that  no  strife  will  take  place 
concerning  it.  15.  The  Most  High  Lord  bless  the  man  that 
does  righteousness,  him  and  his  seed  to  eternity."  16.  And 
he  ended  commanding  them  and  blessing  them,  and  they  ate 
and  drank  before  him  together  ;  and  he  rejoiced,  for  there 
was  a  reconciliation  between  them,  and  they  went  out  from 
him  and  rested  on  that  day  and  slept.      17.   And   Isaac   slept 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  IO5 

on  his  bed  that  day  rejoicing,  and  he  slept  the  sleep  of  eter- 
nity, and  died  one  hundred  and  eighty  years  old.  18.  And 
he  completed  twenty-five  weeks  and  five  years.  19.  And  his 
two  sons,  Esau  and  Jacob,  buried  him.  20.  And  Esau  went 
to  the  land  of  Edom,  to  the  mountains  of  Seir  and  dwelt 
there.  21.  And  Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Hebron,  in  the 
tower  of  the  land  of  the  pilgrimage  of  his  father  Abraham, 
and  worshipped  God  with  his  whole  heart,  and  according  to 
the  command  of  him  who  appeared  to  him,  who  had  distin- 
guished him  on  the  day  of  his  birth.  22.  And  Leah,  his 
wife,  died,  in  the  fourth  year  of  the  second  week  of  the  forty- 
fifth  jubilee,  and  he  buried  her  in  the  double  cave  near  to  Re- 
becca, his  mother,  to  the  left  of  the  grave  of  Sarah,  the 
mother  of  his  father.  23.  And  all  of  her  sons  and  his  sons 
came  to  weep  over  Leah,  his  wife,  with  him,  and  that  they 
might  comfort  each  other  on  her  account,  for  he  mourned 
over  her.  24.  For  he  loved  her  exceedingly  after  Rachel 
her  sister  died,  for  she  was  perfect  and  righteous  in  all  her 
ways  and  honored  Jacob:  and  in  all  the  days  which  she  lived 
with  him,  he  did  not  hear  from  her  mouth  a  hard  word,  for 
she  was  gentle  and  upright  and  peaceful  and  honorable.  25. 
And  he  remembered  all  her  deeds  which  she  had  done  in  her 
life,  and  mourned  exceedingly,  for  he  loved  her  very  much 
with  all  his  heart  and  with  all  his  soul. 

Chap.  XXXVIL  i.  And  on  the  day  of  the  death  of  Isaac, 
the  father  of  Jacob  and  Esau,  when  the  sons  of  Esau  heard 
that  Lsaac  had  given  the  birthright  to  his  younger  son  Jacob, 
they  were  very  angry.  2.  And  they  quarrelled  with  their 
father,  saying:  "  Why  hath  thy  father,  although  thou  art  the 
elder  and  Jacob  the  younger,  given  to  Jacob  the  birthright 
and  left  thee  behind?"  3.  And  he  said  to  them:  "Be- 
cause I  sold  my  right  of  first  birth  to  Jacob  for  a  small  mess 
of  lentils.  4.  And  on  the  day  that  my  father  sent  me  out  to 
hunt  and  catch  and  bring  something  to  him  that  he  should 
eat  it  and  bless  me,  he  came  in  deception  and  brought  to  my 
father  something  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  my  father  blessed 
him  and  put  me  under  his  hand.      5.   And  now  our  father  has 


I06  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

made  us  swear,  me  and  him,  that  we  will  not  devise  any  evil 
one  against  his  brother,  and  that  each  will  continue  in  love 
and  in  peace  with  his  brother,  and  will  not  destroy  our  ways." 
6.  And  the>'  said  to  him  :  "  We  will  not  listen  to  thee  to  keep 
peace  with  him,  for  our  strength  exceeds  his  strength,  and 
we  are  more  powerful  than  he.  7.  We  will  go  out  against 
him,  and  will  slay  him,  and  destroy  his  children  ;  and  if  thou 
dost  not  go  out  with  us,  we  will  do  thee  harm  also.  8,  Listen 
now  to  us :  We  will  send  to  Aram  and  to  Philistia  and  to 
Moab  and  to  Ammon,  and  we  will  pick  out  for  ourselves 
chosen  men  who  are  prepared  for  battle,  and  we  will  go 
against  him  and  will  battle  with  him,  and  we  will  root  him 
out  of  the  land,  before  he  has  taken  root  and  is  strong."  9. 
And  their  father  said  to  them  :  "  Ye  shall  not  go  and  make 
war  upon  him,  that  ye  may  not  fall  before  him. "  10.  And  they 
said  to  him  :  "This  is  as  thou  hast  done  from  thy  youth  on 
to  the  present  day,  and  thou  hast  brought  thy  neck  under  his 
yoke.  II.  We  will  not  listen  to  these  words."  And  they 
sent  to  Aram  and  to  Aduram  to  the  associates  of  their  father, 
and  they  hired  with  themselves  one  thousand  fighting  men 
and  chosen  warriors.  12.  And  there  came  to  them  from 
Moab  and  from  the  children  of  Ammon  those  that  were  hired, 
one  thousand  chosen  men,  and  from  Philistia  one  thousand 
chosen  warriors,  and  from  lulom  and  the  Horites  one  thou- 
sand chosen  fighters,  and  from  the  Hittites  strong  fighting 
men.  13.  And  they  said  to  their  father:  "Go  out,  lead 
them,  and  if  not,  we  will  kill  thee."  14.  And  he  was  filled 
with  anger  and  wrath  at  the  time  when  he  saw  his  sons  that 
they  were  forcing  him  to  go  before  them  to  lead  them  against 
Jacob,  his  brother.  15.  And  then  he  remembered  all  the 
evil  which  had  been  hidden  in  his  heart  against  his  brother 
Jacob,  and  did  not  remember  the  oath  which  he  had  sworn  to 
his  father  and  his  mother,  that  he  would  not  devise  any  evil 
all  his  days  against  his  brother  Jacob.  \6.  And  in  all  this 
time  Jacob  did  not  know  that  they  were  coming  against  him 
for  battle,  but  he  was  lamenting  over  Leah,  his  wife,  until 
they  approached  him  very  near  to  the  tower,  four  tlxjusand 


THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES.  I07 

warlike,  powerful,  and  chosen  fighters.  17.  And  the  men  of 
Hebron  sent  to  him  saying :  "  Behold  thy  brother  is  coming 
against  thee  to  fight  with  thee  with  four  thousand  heavily 
girded  men,  and  they  carry  shields  and  weapons ;  "  for  they 
loved  Jacob  more  than  Esau,  and  told  it  to  him,  for  Jacob  was 
a  more  gracious  and  mild  man  than  Esau.  i8.  But  Jacob  did 
not  believe  it  until  he  approached  very  near  the  tower.  19. 
And  he  fastened  the  gates  of  the  tower  and  stood  upon  the 
top  of  the  tower,  and  spoke  with  his  brother  Esau  and  said  : 
"  Hast  thou  come  to  me  bringing  me  a  good  consolation  on 
account  of  my  wife  who  has  died  ?  20.  Is  this  the  oath  which 
thou  hast  sworn  to  thy  father  and  thy  mother  twice  before 
they  died  ?  21.  Thou  hast  violated  the  oath,  and  on  account 
of  what  thou  hast  sworn  to  thy  father,  thou  shalt  be  judged." 
22.  And  then  Esau  answered  and  said  to  him  :  "  There  is  not 
to  the  sons  of  men  and  to  the  animals  of  the  earth  any  oath 
of  trust  which  they  swear  to  them  unto  eternity;  but  on  that 
morning  yet  they  devise  evil  against  each  other,  so  that  one 
may  kill  his  hater  and  his  enemy.  23.  And  thou  too  dost 
hate  me  and  my  children  to  eternity,  and  there  is  no  broth- 
erly dealing  with  thee.  24.  Hear  these  my  words  which  I 
announce  to  thee  :  If  one  can  change  the  bristles  of  the  swine 
and  change  them  into  wool,  and  if  horns  will  come  out  of  its 
head  like  the  horns  of  the  deer  and  rams,  then  I  will  maintain 
brotherly  relations  with  thee.  25.  And  if  the  breasts  are 
separated  from  the  mother — for  wast  not  thou  to  me  a  brother 
— and  if  the  wolves  make  peace  with  the  lambs,  so  that  they 
do  not  devour  and  rob  them  ;  and  if  their  hearts  incline  to  do- 
ing each  other  good,  then  will  there  be  peace  in  my  heart  to- 
ward thee.  26.  And  when  the  lion  becomes  the  friend  of  the 
ox,  and  when  he  is  put  into  one  yoke  with  him  and  plows  with 
him,  then  I  will  make  peace  with  thee.  27.  And  when  the 
raven  becomes  white  like  the  rice  bird,  then  I  will  know  that 
I  love  thee  and  will  make  peace  with  thee.  Thou  shalt  be 
rooted  out  and  thy  sons  shall  be  rooted  out,  and  there  shall 
be  no  peace. "  28.  And  then  Jacob  saw  that  his  heart  was 
evil  against  him,  and  that  from  his  whole  soul  he  would  slay 


I08  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

him,  and  he  had  come  springing  like  a  wild  animal  which 
comes  against  the  spear  that  pierces  it  through  and  kills  it,  and 
it  does  not  depart  from  it.  29.  And  then  he  said  to  his  sons 
and  to  his  servants  that  they  should  attack  him  and  all  his 
companions. 

Chap.  XXXVIII.  i.  And  after  that  Judah  spoke  to  his 
father  Jacob  and  said  to  him  :  "  Bend  thy  bow,  father,  and 
send  forth  thy  arrow  and  cast  down  tlu'  hater  and  slay  thy 
enemy:  and  mayest  thou  have  the  power,  for  we  will  not  slay 
thy  brother,  for  to  thee  and  with  thee  and  to  us  it  will  be  an 
honor."  2.  And  immediately  Jacob  bent  the  bow  and  sent 
forth  his  arrow,  and  cast  down  his  brother  Esau,  and  slew 
him.  3.  And  again  he  sent  forth  his  arrow  and  hit  Adoran, 
the  Aramaean,  on  the  left  breast,  and  drove  him  back  and 
killed  him.  4.  And  then  the  sons  of  Jacob  and  their  servants 
came  out  breaking  forth  from  the  four  sides  of  the  tower. 
5.  Out  came  completely  Judah,  and  Naphtali  and  Gad  with 
him,  and  fifty  young  men  with  him  out  of  the  north  side  of 
the  tower,  and  killed  all  that  they  found  before  them,  and 
none  escaped  of  those,  not  one.  6.  And  Levi  and  Dan  and  Asher 
came  out  from  the  east  side  of  the  tower,  and  fifty  with  them, 
and  they  slew  the  warriors  of  Moab  and  Ammon.  7.  And 
Reuben  and  Issachar  and  Zebulun  came  out  of  the  south  side 
of  the  tower,  and  fifty  with  them,  and  they  killed  the  fighters 
of  Philistia.  8.  And  Simeon  and  Benjamin  and  ImiocIi,  the 
son  of  Reuben,  came  out  of  the  west  side  of  the  tower,  and 
fifty  with  them,  and  killed  of  those  of  Edom  and  Choran  four 
hundred  powerful  men,  and  seven  hundred  escaped,  and  four 
of  the  sons  of  Esau  fled  with  them,  and  left  their  father  behind 
dead,  as  he  had  fallen  on  the  hill  which  is  [called]  Aduram. 
9.  And  the  sons  of  Jacob  pursued  afcer  them  to  the  moun- 
tains of  Seir.  And  Jacob  buried  his  brother  oh  the  hill  which 
is  [called]  AdCiram,  and  returned  to  his  house.  10.  yXiul  the 
sons  of  Jacob  overcame  the  sons  of  h.sau  in  the  mountains  of 
Seir,  and  rriade  them  bend  their  necks,  so  that  they  became 
the  servants  of  the  sons  of  Jacob  ;  and  they  sent  word  to  their 
father  inquiring  if  they  should  make  peace  with  them,  or  if 


THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES.  IO9 

they  should  kill  them,  i  r.  And  Jacob  sent  word  to  his  sons 
that  they  should  make  peace ;  and  they  made  peace  with 
them,  and  they  placed  the  yoke  of  servitude  upon  them  that 
they  should  pay  tribute  to  Jacob  and  his  sons  all  the  days. 
12.  And  they  continued  to  pay  tribute  to  Jacob  until  the  day 
when  Jacob  descended  to  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  the  sons  of 
Esau  did  not  cease  from  the  yoke  of  servitude  which  the 
twelve  sons  of  Jacob  had  imposed  upon  them,  until  the  pres- 
ent day.  13.  And  these  are  the  kings  which  ruled  over 
Edom  before  a  king  ruled  over  the  children  of  Israel,  until  the 
present  day  in  the  land  of  Edom  ;  and  Balak,  the  son  of  Beor, 
was  king,  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Dinaba.  14.  And 
Balak  died,  and  Jobab,  the  son  of  Zara,  of  Bezor,  ruled  in  his 
stead.  15.  And  Jobab  died,  and  Adat,  the  son  of  Barad, 
who  slew  the  Mediarites  on  the  field  of  Moab,  was  king  in  his 
place,  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Amot.  i6..  And  Adat 
died  and  Salman,  of  Amalek,  was  king  in  his  stead.  17.  And 
Salman  died  and  Saul,  of  the  river  Robaet,  was  king  in  his 
stead.  18.  And  Saul  died,  and  Beulunan,  the  son  of  Akbur, 
was  king  in  his  stead.  19.  And  Beulunan  died,  and  Adat 
was  king  in  his  stead,  and  the  name  of  his  wife  was  Matilat, 
the  daughter  of  Matrit,  the  daughter  of  Metbed  Zaab.  20. 
These  are  the  kings  who  ruled  in  the  land  of  Edom. 

Chap.  XXXIX.  i.  And  Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the 
pilgrimage  of  his  father,  the  land  of  Canaan.  2.  These  are 
the  generations  of  Jacob:  When  Joseph  was  seventeen  years 
old  they  took  him  down  into  Egypt,  and  sold  him  to  Poti- 
phar,  the  eunuch  of  Pharaoh,  the  head  of  the  cooks.  3.  And 
he  set  Joseph  over  his  whole  house  :  and  the  blessing  of  the 
Lord  was  in  the  house  of  the  Egyptian  on  account  of  Joseph, 
and  all  that  he  did  the  Lord  prospered.  4.  And  the  Egyptian 
left  in  Joseph's  hands  all  that  was  before  him,  for  he  saw  that 
the  Lord  was  with  him,  and  that  everything  he  did  the  Lord 
prospered.  5.  But  Joseph  was  beautiful  to  look  at  and  very 
attractive  in  form,  and  the  wife  of  his  master  lifted  up  her 
eyes  and  saw  Joseph.  6.  And  she  loved  him  and  entreated 
him  to  lie  with  her.      7.  But  he  did   not  give   over  his  soul, 


no  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

but  remembered  the  Lord  and  the  words  which  his  father 
Jacob  had  read  from  among  the  words  of  Abraham,  that  no 
one  among  men  should  commit  fornication  with  the  wife  of 
another,  and  with  a  woman  who  has  a  husband,  and  that  as  a 
punishment  for  this  one  death  has  been  estabhshed  in  the 
heavens  before  tlic  Most  High  God,  and  the  sin  on  account 
of  it  will  be  inscribed  on  the  books  which  are  in  eternity,  all 
the  days,  before  the  Lord.  8.  And  Joseph  remembered  these 
words,  and  was  not  willing  to  lie  with  her.  9.  And  she  en. 
treated  him  one  year,  and  he  refused,  and  would  not  listen. 
10.  But  she  embraced  him  and  seized  him  in  the  house  in  or- 
der to  force  him  to  lie  with  her,  and  locked  the  doors  of  the 
house  ;  but  he  tore  himself  out  of  her  hands  and  left  his  gar- 
ment in  her  hand,  and  broke  the  lock,  and  fled  without  away 
from  her  presence.  11.  And  the  woman  saw  that  he  would 
not  lie  with  her,  and  she  lied  before  her  lord,  saying  :  "  Thy 
Hebrew  servant,  whom  thou  lovest,  sought  to  do  me  violence 
that  he  might  lie  with  me,  and  it  happened  that  when  I  raised 
my  voice,  he  fled  and  left  his  garment  in  my  hand,  when  I  had 
seized  him,  and  broke  the  lock."  12.  And  the  Egyptian  saw 
the  garment  of  Joseph  and  the  broken  lock,  and  he  obeyed 
the  words  of  his  wife,  and  cast  Joseph  into  prison,  into  the 
place  where  the  prisoners  stayed  whom  the  king  had  caused 
to  be  imprisoned.  13.  And  there  he  was  in  the  prison,  and 
the  Lord  gave  Joseph  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  head  of  the 
prison  guards,  and  good  will  before  him,  for  he  saw  that  the 
Lord  was  with  him,  and  all  that  he  did  the  Lord  prospered. 
14.  And  he  left  all  things  to  him,  and  tlic  head  of  the  prison 
guards  looked  to  nothing,  for  all  things  that  Joseph  did  the 
Lord  perfected.  15.  And  he  remained  there  two  years.  16. 
And  in  those  days  Pharaoh  was  angry  with  two  of  his  eunuchs, 
the  chief  of  the  butlers  and  chief  of  the  bakers,  and  he  cast 
them  into  prison,  into  the  house  of  the  chief  of  the  cooks,  the 
prison  where  Joseph  was  held.  17.  And  the  chief  of  the 
prison  guards  ordered  Joseph  to  serve  them,  and  he  served 
them  before  him.  18.  And  both  of  them  dreamed  a  dream, 
the  chief  of  the  butlers  and  the  chief  of  the  bakers,  and  they 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  Ill 

told  it  to  Joseph.  19.  And  as  he  explained  to  them,  thus  it 
happened  to  them  ;  and  the  chief  of  the  butlers  Pharaoh  put 
back  into  his  office,  and  the  chief  of  the  bakers  he  killed,  as 
Joseph  had  explained  to  them.  20.  And  the  chief  of  the  but- 
lers forgot  Joseph  in  the  prison,  although  he  had  informed 
him  what  would  become  of  him,  and  did  not  remember  to  in- 
form Pharaoh  as  Joseph  had  told  him,  for  he  forgot. 

Chap.  XL.  i.  And  in  those  days  Pharaoh  dreamed  two 
dreams  in  one  night,  concerning  the  matter  of  a  famine  which 
would  come  over  all  the  land ;  and  he  awoke  from  his  dream 
and  called  all  the  dream  interpreters  that  were  in  Egypt,  and 
the  sorcerers,  and  told  them  both  his  dreams,  and  they  were 
not  able  to  understand  them.  2.  And  then  the  chief  of  the 
butlers  recalled  Joseph  to  memory,  and  spoke  concerning  him 
to  the  king ;  and  he  brought  him  out  of  prison  and  narrated 
his  two  dreams  before  him.  3.  And  bespoke  before  Pharaoh 
that  his  two  dreams  were  one,  and  he  said  :  "  Seven  years  will 
come  of  plenty  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  after  that,  seven 
years  of  famine,  such  as  has  not  been  upon  the  whole  earth. 
4.  And  now,  O  Pharaoh,  establish  throughout  all  the  land  of 
Egypt  storehouses  that  grain  may  be  gathered  into  them  from 
city  to  city,  in  the  days  of  the  years  of  plenty,  so  that  there 
may  be  grain  for  the  seven  years  of  famine,  and  that  the  land 
be  not  destroyed  on  account  of  the  famine,  for  it  will  be  very 
severe."  5.  And  the  Lord  gave  Joseph  grace  and  good  will 
before  the  eyes  of  Pharaoh,  and  Pharaoh  said  to  his  servants: 
"  We  shall  not  be  able  to  find  a  wise  and  intelligent  man  like 
this  man,  for  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  him."  6.  And  he 
appointed  him  the  second  over  the  whole  kingdom,  and  made 
him  prince  overall  Egypt  ;  and  caused  him  to  ride  upon  the 
second  chariot  of  Pharaoh,  and  clothed  him  with  byssus  gar- 
ments, and  put  a  golden  chain  around  his  neck,  and  pro- 
claimed before  him,  saying  :  "El  El  wa  abrir. "  And  he  put 
[a  ring]  upon  his  hand,  and  made  him  master  of  his  whole 
house,  and  made  him  great,  and  said  to  him  :  "I  will  not  be 
greater  than  thee  except  in  regard  to  the  thronedom."  7. 
And   Joseph  was   lord  in  all    the   land   of  P^gypt,  and  all   the 


112  THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES. 

princes  of  Pharaoh  loved  him,  and  all  the  servants  and  all 
those  that  did  the  offices  of  the  king,  for  he  walked  in  recti- 
tude and  without  pride  and  haughtiness  of  heart,  and  did  not 
regard  persons  nor  take  bribes,  but  in  rectitude  he  judged 
over  all  the  peoples  of  the  land.  8.  And  the  land  of  Egypt 
was  governed  peacefully  before  Pharaoh  on  account  of  Joseph, 
for  the  Lord  was  with  him,  and  gave  him  grace  and  good  will 
over  all  his  race,  before  all  who  knew  him  and  heard  reports 
concerning  him  ;  and  the  kingdom  of  Pharaoh  was  in  a  right 
condition,  without  any  enemy  or  evil.  9.  And  the  king  called 
the  name  of  Joseph,  Sephnetiphanz,  and  gave  the  daughtei 
of  Potiphar  as  a  wife  to  Joseph,  the  daughter  of  the  one  that 
sacrifices  at  Heliopolis,  the  chief  of  the  cooks.  10.  And  on 
the  day  that  Joseph  stood  before  Pharaoh  he  was  thirty  years 
old,  when  he  stood  before  the  face  of  Pharaoh.  11.  And  in 
that  year  Isaac  died.  12.  And  it  happened  as  Joseph  had 
said  concerning  the  explanation  of  the  two  dreams,  and  there 
were  seven  years  of  plenty,  and  the  land  of  Egypt  was  full  of 
fruit,  for  one  measure  eighteen  measures.  13.  And  Joseph 
gathered  food  from  city  to  city,  until  they  were  full  of  grain, 
until  they  were  not  able  to  count  and  measure  it  on  account 
of  multitude. 

Chap.  XLI.  i.  And  in  the  forty-fifth  jubilee,  in  the  sec- 
ond week  and  in  the  second  year,  Judah  took  a  wife  for  P>, 
his  first-born,  from  among  the  daughters  of  Aram,  and  her 
name  was  Tamar.  2.  And  he  hated  her  and  did  not  lie 
with  her,  because  his  mother  was  from  among  the  daughters 
of  Canaan,  and  he  desired  to  take  a  wife  to  himself  from  the 
relatives  of  his  mother,  but  his  father  Judah  would  not  per- 
mit him.  3.  And  this  his  first-born  was  wicked,  and  the 
Lord  slew  him.  4.  And  Judah  said  to  his  son  Onan :  "Go 
in  to  the  wife  of  thy  brother,  and  make  her  thy  wife  and 
raise  up  seed  for  thy  brother."  5.  And  Onan  knew  that  the 
seed  would  not  be  his,  but  rather  his  brother's,  and  he  went 
to  the  house  of  the  wife  of  his  brother,  and  poured 
the  seed  upon  the  ground,  and  was  wicked  before  the  eyes 
of    the    Lord,   and   lie  slew    him.      6.     And    Judah    said    to 


THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES.  I  I  3 

Tamar,  his  daughter-in-law,  "Abide  in  the  house  of  thy 
father  as  a  widow  until  my  son  Shelah  has  grown,  and  I  will 
give  thee  to  him  for  a  wife."  7.  And  he  grew  up;  but 
Bedsijel,  the  wife  of  Judah,  would  not  permit  her  son  Shelah 
to  marry  her.  8.  And  Bedsijel,  the  wife  of  Judah,  died  in 
the  fifth  year  of  this  week.  9.  And  in  the  sixth  year  thereof 
Judah  went  up  to  shear  his  sheep  at  Timnath.  10.  And  she 
laid  aside  her  widow's  garments  and  clothed  herself  with  a 
vail,  and  beautified  herself,  and  sat  down  at  the  gate  on  the 
way  to  Timnath.  1 1.  And  when  Judah  came,  he  found  her, 
and  thought  her  a  harlot,  and  said  to  her:  "I  will  go  in  to 
thee."  12.  And  she  said  to  him,  "Come  in,"  and  he  came 
in  unto  her.  13.  And  she  said  to  him,  "Give  me  my  pay." 
14.  And  he  said  to  her,  "I  have  nothing  in  my  hand  except 
my  ring  on  my  finger  and  my  bracelet  and  my  staff,  which  is 
in  my  hand."  15.  And  she  said  to  him,  "Give  me  these 
until  thou  sendest  me  my  pay."  16.  And  he  said  to  her,  "I 
will  send  thee  a  young  kid;"  and  he  gave  them  to  her.  17. 
And  she  conceived  from  him  ;  and  Judah  went  to  his  sheep, 
but  she  went  to  the  house  of  her  father.  18.  And  Judah 
sent  a  young  kid  through  a  shepherd  of  Adullam,  and  he  did 
not  find  her,  and  asked  the  people  of  the  place,  saying, 
"Where  is  the  harlot  which  was  here  ?"  19.  And  they  said, 
"There  has  been  no  harlot  here,  and  there  is  no  harlot  among 
us.''  20.  And  he  returned  and  told  him  that  he  had  not 
found  her,  and  said,  "I  asked  the  people  of  the  place  and 
they  said  to  me  that  there  was  no  harlot  there."  21.  And 
he  said,  "Arise,  let  us  go  that  we  do  not  become  a  laughing 
stock."  22.  And  when  three  months  were  ever  she  learned 
that  she  was  pregnant,  and  they  told  Judah,  saying,  "Behold, 
thy  daughter-in-law  Tamar  has  conceived  by  whoredom.'" 
23.  And  Judah  went  to  the  house  of  her  father,  and  said  to 
her  father  and  mother  and  brothers:  "Bring  her  out  that  she 
be  burned,  for  she  has  done  an  unclean  thing  in  Israel.  24. 
And  it  happened  when  they  brought  her  out  to  burn  her, 
she  sent  to  her  father-in-law  the  ring  and  the  bracelets  and 
the   staff,    saying,     "Dost  thou    recognize    whose  these  are, 


I  14  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

for  from  him  have  I  conceived  ?"  25.  And  Judah  recognized 
them  and  said,  "Tamar  is  more  just  than  I."  26.  And  they 
did  not  burn  her.  27.  And  on  this  account  she  was  not 
given  to  Shelah  ;  and  he  did  not  again  approach  her.  28. 
And  after  that  she  gave  birth  to  two  male  children,  Pharez 
and  Zarah,  in  the  seventh  year  of  this  second  week.  29. 
And  three  more  completed  the  seven  years  of  fruitfulncss  of 
which  Joseph  had  said  to  Pharoah.  30.  And  Judah  knew 
than  it  was  an  evil  deed  which  he  had  done,  for  he  had  lain 
with  his  daughter-in-law,  and  regarded  it  as  a  sin  before  his 
eyes,  and  he  knew  that  he  had  sinned  and  erred,  because  he 
had  uncovered  the  skirt  of  his  son.  31.  And  he  began  to 
lament  it  and  ask  for  mercy  before  the  Lord  on  account  of 
his  sin.  32.  And  he  told  him  in  a  dream,  that  it  would  be 
forgiven  him,  because  he  begged  exceedingly  for  mercy  and 
lamented,  and  did  not  repeat  it.  33.  And  he  obtained  for- 
giveness, for  he  turned  from  his  sin  and  ignorance,  for  it  was 
a  great  transgression  before  the  Lord  our  God  ;  and  every 
one  that  does  thus,  and  lies  with  his  daughter-in-law  shall  be 
burned  with  fire,  that  he  may  burn  therein,  for  it  is  unclean- 
ness  and  defilement  upon  them :  with  fire  they  shall  be 
burnt.  34.  And  thou,  Moses,  command  the  children  of 
Israel,  that  there  be  no  uncleanncss  among  them,  for  every 
one  that  lieth  with  his  mother-in-law  or  his  daughter-in-law 
does  an  unclean  thing:  with  fire  shall  be  burnt  the  man  who 
lies  with  her,  and  t!ie  woman  also,  and  he  [God]  shall  remove 
the  anger  and  punishment  from  Lsrael.  35.  But  to  Judah 
he  said  that  because  his  two  sons  did  not  lie  with  her,  on 
that  account  his  seed  stands  for  a  second  generation,  and 
should  not  be  rooted  out;  for  in  the  innocence  of  his  eyes 
he  had  gone  and  sought  punishment,  namely,  according  to 
the  judgment  of  Abraham  which  he  commanded  his  children, 
that  Judah  should  be  burned  with  fire. 

CiiAi'.  XLII.  I.  And  in  the  first  year  of  the  third  week 
of  the  forty-fifth  jubilee,  the  famine  began  to  come  into  the 
land,  and  rain  refused  to  be  given  to  the  earth;  for  none  fell. 
2.    And  the  earth    was   unfruitful,    and  in    the  lantl   of  l'^g>'pt 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  1 15 

alone  there  was  food,  for  Joseph  had  gathered  that  he  might 
give  them  food,  and  Joseph  had  gathered  the  seed  of  the 
earth  in  the  seven  years  of  fruitfulness  and  had  guarded  it. 
3.  And  the  Egyptians  came  to  Joseph  that  he  should  give 
them  food,  and  he  opened  the  storehouses  where  the  grain 
was  in  the  first  year,  and  he  sold  it  to  the  people  of  the  land 
for  gold.  4.  And  Jacob  heard  that  there  was  food  in  the 
land  of  Egypt,  and  he  sent  ten  sons,  that  they  should  go 
for  him  to  Egypt,  but  Benjamin  he  did  not  send.  5.  And 
they  came,  together  with  those  that  went  there.  6.  And 
Joseph  knew  them,  but  they  did  not  know  him;  and  he  spoke 
with  and  asked  them,  and  said  to  them:  "Are  ye  not  spies 
and  have  come  to  examine  the  traces  of  the  land?"  7.  And 
he  locked  them  in.  8.  And  then  again  he  released  them 
and  incarcerated  Siineon  alone,  and  his  nine  brothers  he  sent 
away.  9.  And  he  filled  their  sacks  with  grain,  and  he  placed 
their  gold  in  their  sacks,  and  they  did  not  know  it.  10. 
And  he  commanded  them  that  they  should  bring  their 
youngest  brother,  for  they  had  told  him  that  their  father  was 
yet  living  and  also  their  youngest  brother.  11.  And  they 
went  up  from  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  came  to  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  told  their  father  all  that  had  happened  to  them, 
and  how  the  prince  of  the  land  had  spoken  with  them  and 
had  seized  Simeon  until  they  should  bring  Benjamin.  12. 
And  Jacob  said,  "Ye  have  robbed  me  of  my  children  :  Joseph 
is  no  more,  Simeon  is  no  more,  and  ye  will  also  take  Ben- 
jamin;  your  wickedness  is  upon  you."  13.  And  he  said: 
"My  son  shall  not  go  with  you;  it  is  possible  that  he  will 
become  sick  ;  for  their  mother  has  given  birth  to  two  sons, 
one  is  destroyed  and  this  one  ye  will  take.  14.  He  might 
take  a  fever  on  the  road,  and  ye  will  bring  my  gray  hairs  in 
sorrow  into  death."  15.  For  he  saw  that  all  their  gold  was 
returned  in  their  packages,  and  on  this  account  he  feared  to 
send  him.  16.  But  the  famine  increased  and  became  strong 
in  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  in  alt  the  lands,  except  in  the 
land  of  Egypt,  for  many  of  the  sons  of  l^g)'pt  had  gathered 
their  seeds  for  food  when  they  saw   that  Joseph   was   collect- 


Il6  THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES. 

ing  the  seed  and  placing  it  into  the  storehouses,  and  preserv- 
ing it  for  the  years  of  famine,  and  the  men  of  Egypt  fed 
themselves  in  the  first  year  of  their  famine.  17.  And  when 
Israel  saw  that  the  famine  was  very  powerful  in  the  land,  and 
that  there  was  no  deliverance,  he  said  to  his  sons:  "Go,  re- 
turn, and  bring  us  food  that  we  die  not."  18.  And  they 
said:  "We  will  not  go:  unless  our  youngest  brother  goes  with 
us  we  will  not  go."  19.  And  Israel  saw  that  if  he  would 
not  send  him  with  them  all  would  be  destroyed  on  account 
of  the  famine.  20.  And  Reuben  said:  "Give  him  to  me 
into  my  hand,  and  if  I  do  not  return  him  to  thee,  slay  my 
two  sons  in  place  of  his  soul."  21.  And  he  said,  "He  shall 
not  go  with  thee."  22.  And  Judah  approached  and  said  to 
him:  "Send  him  with  mc;  and  if  I  do  not  bring  him  back 
to  thee,  I  shall  be  a  transgressor  before  thee  all  the  days  of 
my  life."  23.  And  he  sent  him  with  them  in  the  second 
year  of  this  week  and  in  the  new  moon  of  the  month,  and 
they  came  to  the  land  of  l^g}'pt  with  all  those  that  went,  and 
presents  in  their  hands  ;  and  stacte  and  nuts  and  pistachio  and 
pure  honey.  24.  And  they  came  and  stood  before  Joseph, 
and  he  saw  his  brother  l^enjamin,  and  knew  him,  and  said 
to  them:  "Is  this  your  youngest  brother?"  25.  7\nd  they 
said  to  him:  "Yea,  it  is  he."  26.  And  he  said,  "The  Lord 
be  merciful  to  thee,  my  son."  27.  And  he  sent  them  into 
his  house,  and  brought  out  Simeon  to  them  and  made  them 
a  feast,  and  they  brought  to  him  what  they  had  brought  in 
their  hands.  28.  And  they  ate  before  him,  and  he  gave 
them  all  a  portion,  and  increased  the  portion  of  l^enjamin 
over  the  portion  of  the  others  seven  times,  and  they  ate 
and  drank,  and  arose  and  remained  with  their  asses.  29. 
And  Joseph  thought  out  a  plan  how  he  could  learn  their 
thoughts,  whether  their  thoughts  were  peace  among  tach 
other;  and  he  said  to  the  man  who  was  over  his  house:  "I'^ill 
all  their  sacks  uitii  food,  but  their  gold  return  to  them  in 
the  midst  of  their  receptacle,  and  my  goblet  out  of  which  I 
drink  put  into  the  sack  of  the  }'oungest,  the  silver  goblet, 
and  send  them  away." 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  I  1/ 

Chap.  XLIII.  i.  And  he  did  as  Joseph  had  told  him, 
and  filled  all  their  sacks  for  them  with  food,  but  their  gold  he 
put  into  their  sacks,  and  the  goblet  he  put  into  the  sack  of 
Benjamin.  2.  And  early  in  the  morning  they  departed.  3. 
And  it  happened  when  they  had  gone  from  there  that  Joseph 
said  to  the  man  :  "  Follow  them,  run  and  upbraid  them,  say- 
ing :  '  For  good  ye  have  returned  evil,  and  have  stolen  the  silver 
cup  out  of  which  my  master  drinks.'  And  bring  back  to  me 
their  youngest  brother,  quickly  before  that  I  go  to  my  official 
work."  4.  And  he  ran  after  them  and  said  to  them  accord- 
ing to  these  words.  5.  And  they  said  to  him  :  "  Far  be  it 
from  thy  servants  to  do  this  thing  :  we  have  not  stolen  out  of 
the  house  of  thy  lord  any  utensil,  and  the  gold  which  we 
found  the  first  time  in  our  sacks,  we,  thy  servants,  have 
brought  back  out  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  6.  How  then  would 
we  steal  any  utensil  :  behold,  here  we  are,  and  our  sacks  ; 
search,  and  wherever  thou  findest  the  cup  in  the  sack  of  any 
man  among  us,  he  shall  be  killed,  but  we  and  our  asses  will 
serve  thy  lord."  7.  And  he  said  to  them:  "  Not  thus,  the 
man  with  whom  I  find  it,  him  alone  will  I  take  as  a  servant, 
but  ye  shall  return  in  peace  to  your  houses.  8.  And  when 
he  searched  in  their  vessels,  beginning  with  the  oldest  and 
ending  with  the  youngest,  it  was  found  in  the  sack  of  Benja- 
min, the  youngest.  9.  And  they  were  terrified  and  rent  their 
clothes,  and  loaded  their  asses  and  returned  to  the  city  and 
came  to  the  house  of  Joseph,  and  all  fell  down  before  him 
upon  their  faces  on  the  ground.  10.  And  Joseph  said  to 
them  :  "  Ye  have  done  evil;  "  and  they  said  to  him  :  "  What 
shall  we  say,  and  with  what  shall  we  defend  ourselves  that  our 
Lord  has  found  the  guilt  of  his  servants  ?  11.  Behold,  we  are 
thy  servants,  O  our  lord,  together  with  our  asses."  12. 
And  Joseph  said  to  them:  "I,  too,  fear  the  Lord,  and  ye 
shall  go  to  your  houses,  but  your  youngest  brother  shall  be 
my  servant,  for  ye  have  done  evil  :  do  ye  not  know  that  one 
like  me  who  drinks  out  of  his  cup  values  it  ?  13.  And  ye  have 
stolen  it."  14.  And  Judah  said:  "For  us,  my  lord,  let  me 
speak  a  word  into  the  ear  of  my  lord  :  his  mother  has   borne 


Il8  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

thy  servant,  our  father,  two  sons;  one  has  left  and  was  lost, 
and  no  one  found  him,  and  this  one  alone  is  left  from  his 
mother  ;  and  thy  servant,  our  father,  loves  him  and  his  soul 
cleaves  to  his  soul,  and  it  will  happen  when  we  return  to  thy 
servant,  our  father,  and  if  the  young  man  is  not  with  us,  he 
will  die,  and  our  father  will  sink  away  through  grief  unto 
death.  15.  But  I  will  become  a  servant  to  my  lord  in  the 
place  of  the  boy  ;  but  let  the  youth  go  with  his  brothers,  for 
I  have  given  promise  for  him  to  thy  servant,  our  father;  and 
if  thou  dost  not  return  him,  then  thy  servant  will  be  guilty  to 
our  father  all  the  days. "  16.  And  Joseph  saw  the  heart  of 
all  that  they  were  friendly  to  each  other  and  well  disposed, 
and  he  was  not  able  to  restrain  himself,  and  he  said  that  he 
was  Joseph,  and  conversed  with  them  in  the  Hebrew  tongue, 
and  he  fell  upon  their  neck  and  wept  ;  but  they  had  not  known 
him,  and  began  to  weep.  17.  And  he  said  to  them  :  "Do 
not  weep  over  me  ;  but  hasten  and  bring  my  father  to  me, 
that  I  may  see  him  before  I  die,  and  the  eyes  of  my  brother 
Benjamin  while  I  see.  18.  For,  behold,  this  is  the  second 
year  of  the  famine,  and  there  are  yet  five  years  without  any 
harvest  or  fruit  of  trees  or  any  plants.  19.  Hasten  ye  to  come 
down  with  your  households,  so  that  ye  be  not  destroyed  by 
the  famine,  and  do  not  grieve  yourselves  on  account  of  your- 
selves, and  on  account  of  your  possessions,  for  the  Lord  has 
sent  me  before  }-ou  as  a  provider,  that  many  people  might 
live.  20.  And  tell  my  father  that  lam  yet  alive.  21.  l^ut 
ye,  behold,  see  nic,  that  the  Lord  has  set  me  as  a  father  to 
Pharaoh,  and  that  I  should  rule  in  his  house  and  over  all  the 
land  of  Egypt.  22.  And  tell  my  father  of  all  my  honor  and 
all  the  measure  which  the  Lord  has  given  me  of  wealth  and 
of  honor."  23.  And  at  the  command  of  Pharaoh,  he  gave 
them  wagons  and  provisions  for  the  road  and  gave  them  all 
colored  garments  and  silver.  24.  And  to  their  father,  Plia 
raoh  sent  garments  and  silver  and  ten  asses  that  carried  grain 
and  he  sent  them  away.  25.  And  they  went  up  and  an- 
nounced to  their  father  that  Joseph  was  alive,  and  that  he  was 
measuring  out  grain  to  all   the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  that 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  I  IQ 

he  was  lord  of  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  26.  And  their  father 
did  not  believe  it,  for  he  was  terrified  in  his  thoughts,  but  when 
he  saw  the  wagons  which  Joseph  had  sent,  his  spirit  revived 
and  lived,  and  he  said  :  "  It  is  a  great  thing  for  me  that  Jo- 
seph lives  :   I  will  go  down  to  see  him  before  I  die." 

Chap.  XLIV.  i.  And  Israel  arose  from  Haran,  from  his 
house,  at  the  new  moon  of  the  third  month,  and  came  by  the 
way  of  the  well  of  the  oath,  and  offered  a  sacrifice  to  the  God 
of  his  father  Isaac,  on  the  seventh  of  this  month,  and  Jacob 
remembered  the  dream  which  he  had  dreamed  at  Bethel,  and 
he  feared  to  descend  down  to  Egypt.  2.  And  while  he  was 
thinking  that  he  would  send  word  to  Joseph  that  he  should 
come  to  him,  and  that  he  would  not  go  down,  he  remained 
there  seven  days,  if  he  might  see  a  vision,  whether  he  should 
remain  or  go  down.  3.  And  he  celebrated  the  harvest  festi- 
val of  first  fruits  with  old  grain,  for  there  was  not  a  handful 
of  seed  in  all  the  land  of  Canaan,  for  it  was  unfruitful  for  all 
the  animals  and  beasts  and  birds,  and  also  human  beings.  4. 
And  on  the  sixteenth  thereof  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  and 
said  to  him  :  "Jacob,  Jacob!"  5.  And  he  said:  "Here  I 
am."  6.  And  he  said  to  him  :  "I  am  the  God  of  thy  fathers 
Abraham  and  Isaac :  fear  not  to  go  down  to  Egypt,  for  I  will 
make  thee  into  a  great  people.  7.  I  will  go  down  with  thee 
and  I  will  bring  thee  back  into  this  land  that  thou  be  buried 
here,  and  Joseph  shall  lay  his  hands  upon  thy  eyes  :  fear  not 
to  go  down  to  Egypt."  8.  And  he  arose,  and  his  sons  and 
his  sons'  sons,  and  they  placed  their  father  and  their  vessels 
upon  the  wagons.  9.  And  Israel  started  from  the  well  of  the 
oath  on  the  sixteenth  of  third  month,  and  went  to  the  land  of 
Egypt.  10.  And  Israel  sent  before  him  to  Joseph,  his  son 
Judah,  that  he  should  examine  the  land  of  Goshen,  for  there 
Joseph  had  told  his  brothers  that  they  should  come,  that  they 
should  dwell  there,  that  they  might  be  near  him  ;  and  this 
was  good  in  the  land  of  h^g}'pt  and  near  to  him,  for  th.em  all 
and  for  their  animals.  11.  And  these  are  the  names  of  the 
sons  of  Jacob  who  went  into  ICgypt  wiih  Jacob  their  father ; 
Reuben,  the  first-born  of  Israel :   and  these  are  the  names  of 


I20  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

his  sons :  Enoch  and  Phalus  and  Ezerom  and  Charami,  fi\^e : 
Simeon  and  his  sons,  and  these  are  the  names  of  his  sons: 
Ijamoel  and  Ijamen  and  Amet  and  Ijakim  and  Saar  and 
Samel,  the  son  of  the  Sephanite  ;  seven  :  Levi  and  his  sons  ; 
and  these  are  the  names  of  his  sons,  Gedson  and  Kaat  and 
Merari,  four:  Judah  and  his  sons  ;  and  these  are  the  names  of 
his  sons:  Selem  and  Phalus  and  Zara,  four:  Issachar  and  his 
sons ;  and  these  are  the  names  of  his  sons :  Tola  and  Phua 
and  Ijaseb  and  Samarom,  five:  Zebulun  and  his  sons,  and 
these  are  the  names  of  his  sons:  Azor  and  Elon  and  Ijaluel, 
four.  12.  And  these  are  the  sons  of  Jacob  and  their  sons 
whom  Leah  had  borne  to  Jacob  in  Mesopotamia,  six,  and  one 
sister  to  them,  Dinah ;  and  all  the  souls  whom  Leah  had 
borne  and  their  sons,  who  went  with  their  father  Jacob  to 
Egypt,  were  twenty-nine,  and  Jacob,  their  father,  with  them, 
it  thus  was  thirty.  13.  And  the  sons  of  Zalapha,  the  hand- 
maid of  Leah,  the  wife  of  Jacob,  whom  she  bore  to  Jacob : 
Gad  and  Asher.  14.  And  these  are  the  names  of  their  sons 
who  went  with  them  to  lv^>'pt ;  the  sons  of  Gad  :  Zephjon  and 
Agati  and  Somi  and  Asohen  .  .  .  and  Aroli  and  Arodi;  eight. 
15.  And  the  sons  of  Asher:  Ijamua  and  Jcsua  and  Barja  and 
Sara,  their  sister,  seven.  16.  And  all  the  souls  are  fourteen, 
and  all  of  Leah  were  forty-four.  17.  And  the  sons  of  Rachel, 
the  wife  of  Jacob,  were  Joseph  and  Iknjamin.  18.  And  to 
Joseph  were  born  in  Eg)-pt  before  his  father  came  to  Egypt, 
whom  Asnet  bore  him,  the  daughter  of  Potiphar,  the  .sacri- 
ficer  of  Heliopolis,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim,  three.  19.  The 
sons  of  Benjamin  are  Biila  and  Bachor  and  I'Lsabel,  Zuel  and 
Neman  and  Abdlji  and  Rae  and  Sanaim  and  Aphcm  and 
Gaom,  eleven.  20.  And  all  the  souls  of  Rachel  were  four- 
teen. 21.  And  the  sons  of  liila,  the  handmaid  of  Rachel,  the 
wife  of  Jacob,  were  Dan  and  Naphtali.  22.  And  these  are 
the  names  of  their  sons  who  went  with  them  to  I\g>'pt ;  tlie 
sons  of  Dan  are  Clu'isi  and  Samon  and  Asi'idi  and  Ijak  and 
Salamon,  six.  23.  And  they  died  in  Iv^ypt  in  the  year  in 
which  they  went  down,  and  there  was  left  to  Dan  only  Chiisi. 
24.   And  these  arc  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Naphtali  :  Ijasiel 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  121 

and  Guhani  and  Asaar  and  Sidoni  and  Erne,  six;  and  Erne 
died  in  Egypt,  who  was  born  after  the  year  of  the  famine. 
25.  And  all  the  souls  of  Rachel  were  twenty-six.  26.  And 
all  the  souls  of  Jacob,  that  went  with  him  to  Egypt,  were 
seventy  souls  ;  but  his  children  and  his  childrens'  children,  all 
together  were  seventy-five,  but  five  died  in  Egypt,  who  were 
not  married  and  had  no  children  ;  and  in  the  land  of  Canaan 
two  sons  of  Judah  died,  Er  and  Onan,  and  had  no  children. 
27.  And  the  sons  of  Israel  buried  those  that  were  destroyed, 
and  these  were  counted  among  the  seventy  peoples. 

Chap.  XLV.  i.  And  Israel  went  to  the  land  of  Egypt 
unto  the  land  of  Goshen  at  the  new  moon  of  fourth  month 
of  the  second  year  of  the  third  week  of  the  forty-fifth 
jubilee.  2.  And  Joseph  went  to  meet  his  father  Jacob  in 
the  land  of  Goshen,  and  he  fell  upon  the  neck  of  his  father 
and  wept.  3.  And  Israel  said  to  Joseph :  "I  would  die  now 
after  I  have  seen  thee.  4.  And  now  may  the  Lord  God  of 
Abraham  and  Isaac  be  blessed,  who  has  not  withdrawn  his 
mercy  and  kindness  from  his  servant  Jacob  :  It  is  a  great 
thing  to  me  that  I  have  seen  thy  face  in  my  life,  for  true  is 
the  vision  which  I  saw  in  Bethel,  blessed  be  the  Lord 
God  to  all  eternity,  and  blessed  be  his  name."  5.  And 
Joseph  and  his  brothers  ate  bread  before  their  father  and 
drank  wine  ;  and  Jacob  rejoiced  exceedingly  much,  for  he 
saw  that  Joseph  ate  with  his  brothers  and  drank  before  him  ; 
and  he  blessed  the  Creator  of  all,  who  had  preserved  for  him 
his  twelve  sons.  6.  And  Joseph  gave  his  father  and  his 
brothers  as  a  present  that  they  should  dwell  in  the  land  of 
Goshen  and  in  Ramasitino,  and  their  whole  territory,  that 
they  should  rule  it  before  Pharaoh.  7.  And  Israel  and  his 
sons  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Goshen,  the  best  part  of  the  land 
of  Egypt:  but  Israel  was  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  old 
when  he  came  into  Egypt.  8.  And  Joseph  gave  provisions 
to  his  father  and  brothers,  and  their  possessions  as  much  as 
supported  them  for  the  seven  years  of  famine.  9.  And  the 
land  of  Egypt  suffered  on  account  of  the  famine,  and  Joseph 
gathered  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  to   Pharaoh  for  food,  both 


122  THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES. 

the  people  and  their  cattle,  and  Pharaoh  possessed  every- 
thing. 10.  And  the  years  of  the  famine  were  completed, 
and  Joseph  gave  to  the  people  that  were  in  the  land  of 
Egypt  seed  and  food  to  sow  in  the  eighth  year,  for  the  river 
had  overflowed  into  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  ii.  For  in  the 
seven  years  of  the  famine  it  had  watered  only  a  few  spots 
along  the  bank  of  the  river,  but  now  it  overflowed  ;  and  the 
Egyptians  sowed  upon  their  land  and  it  produced  much  grain 
in  that  year.  12.  And  this  was  the  first  year  of  the  fourth 
week  of  the  thirty-fifth  jubilee.  13.  And  Joseph  took  of 
the  grain  which  they  sowed  the  fifth  part  for  the  king,  and 
the  fourth  he  left  them  for  food  and  for  sowing:  and  Joseph 
made  it  a  law  for  the  land  of  Egypt  unto  this  day.  14.  And 
Israel  lived  in  the  land  of  Egypt  seventeen  years,  and  all 
the  days  which  he  lived  were  three  jubilees,  one  hundred  and 
forty-seven  years.  15.  And  he  died  in  the  fourth  year  of  the 
fifth  week  of  the  forty-fifth  jubilee.  16.  And  Israel  blessed 
his  sons  before  he  died,  and  told  them  everything  as  it  would 
happen  to  them  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  what  would  come 
upon  them  in  the  latter  days,  and  everything  he  made  known 
to  them,  and  blessed  them  and  gave  Joseph  two  portions  in 
the  land.  17.  And  he  slept  with  his  fathers  and  was  buried 
in  the  double  cave  in  the  land  of  Canaan  beside  Abraham, 
his  father,  in  the  grave  which  he  had  dug  for  himself,  in  the 
double  cave,  in  the  land  of  Hebron.  18.  And  he  gave  all 
his  books  and  the  books  of  his  fathers  to  his  son  Levi,  that 
he  should  guard  them  and  renew  them  for  the  sons  of  Israel 
to  this  day. 

Chap.  XLVI.  i.  And  it  happened  after  the  death  of  Jacob 
that  the  children  of  Israel  increased  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  2. 
And  they  became  a  great  people,  and  they  were  all  united  in 
their  hearts,  so  that  each  loved  his  brother  and  every  man 
assisted  his  brother,  and  they  increased  and  multij)Iied  and 
increased  very  much.  3.  And  ten  weeks  of  years  were  all 
the  days  of  the  life  of  Joseph  which  he  lived  after  his  father, 
and  he  was  no  eneiny  or  anything  wicked  in  all  the  days  of 
the  life  of  Joseph  which  he  lived  after  his  father  Jacob,  for  all 


THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES.  1 23 

the  Egyptians  honored  the  sons  of  Jacob  during  all  the  days 
of  the  life  of  Joseph.  4.  And  Joseph  died  when  he  was  one 
hundred  and  ten  years  old :  seventeen  years  he  lived  in  the 
land  of  Canaan  and  ten  years  he  was  a  servant,  and  three  years 
he  was  in  prison,  and  eighty  years  he  was  under  the  king 
ruling  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  5.  And  all  his  brothers  died, 
and  all  that  generation.  6.  And  he  commanded  the  children 
of  Israel,  before  he  died,  that  they  should  carry  up  his  bones 
when  they  would  go  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  7.  And  he 
made  them  swear  concerning  his  bones,  for  he  knew  that  the 
Egyptians  would  not  again  bring  out  his  bones  and  bury  them 
in  the  land  of  Canaan,  for  Memkeron,  the  king  of  Canaan, 
while  he  was  dwelling  in  the  land  of  Asur,  was  fighting  in  the 
valley  with  the  king  of  Egypt  and  killed  him  there  and 
pursued  the  Egyptians  to  the  gates  of  Eromon.  8.  But  he 
was  unable  to  enter,  for  a  second  new  kin<:^  ruled  over  Egypt, 
and  he  was  more  powerful  than  he ;  and  he  returned  to  the 
land  of  Canaan,  and  the  gates  of  Egypt  were  locked  and  no 
one  entered  Egypt.  9.  And  Joseph  died  in  the  forty-sixth 
jubilee,  in  the  sixth  week,  in  the  second  year  ;  and  they  buried 
him  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  all  his  brothers  died  after  him. 
10.  And  the  king  of  Egypt  went  out  to  fight  with  the  king  of 
Canaan  in  the  forty-seventh  jubilee,  in  the  second  week,  in 
the  second  year  thereof;  and  the  children  of  Israel  brought 
out  the  bones  of  all  the  sons  of  Jacob  except  the  bones  ot 
Joseph,  and  buried  them  in  the  fields,  in  the  double  caves  in 
the  mountains.  11.  And  the  most  returned  to  Egypt,  and  a 
few  of  them  remained  behind  in  the  mountains  of  Hebron, 
and  thy  father  Anbaram  [Amram]  remained  with  them.  12. 
And  the  king  of  Canaan  overcame  the  king  of  Egypt  and 
locked  the  portals  of  Egypt.  13.  And  he  devised  an  evil  plan 
against  the  children  of  Israel  that  he  would  torment  them, 
and  he  said  to  the  men  of  Egypt :  "Behold,  the  people  of  the 
children  have  increased  and  multiplied  more  than  we  ;  behold, 
we  will  plot  against  them  before  they  become  too  many,  and 
will  torment  them  with  slavery,  before  a  murder  comes  over 
us  and   before   these   become  our  enemies ;  if  not,  these  will 


124  THE   BOOK    OF   JUBILEES. 

unite  with  the  enemy  and  will  depart  out  of  our  land,  for  their 
faces  and  hearts  are  toward  the  land  of  Canaan."  14.  And 
he  set  over  them  work-overseers  that  they  should  torment 
them  with  slave  work.  15.  And  they  commanded  them, and 
they  built  strong  cities  for  Pharaoh,  Pithom  and  Ramses,  and 
they  built  all  the  walls  and  sides  which  had  fallen  in  in  the 
cities  of  Egypt.  16.  And  they  oppressed  them  with  service, 
but  as  much  as  they  abused  them  so  much  they  increased  and 
so  much  they  multiplied.  17.  And  the  men  of  P^gypt 
considered  the  children  of  Israel  unclean. 

Chap.  XLVIL  i.  And  in  the  seventh  week,  intheseventh 
year,  in  the  forty-seventh  jubilee,  thy  father  came  from  the 
land  of  Canaan,  and  thou  wast  born  in  the  fourth  week,  in 
the  sixth  year,  in  the  forty-eighth  jubilee,  which  are  the  days 
of  the  persecution  over  the  sons  of  Israel.  2.  And  King 
Pharaoh,  of  Egypt,  issued  a  command  concerning  them,  that 
they  should  throw  all  their  children,  every  male,  into  the 
river.  3.  And  they  threw^  them  in  seven  months,  until  the 
day  when  thou  wast  born  :  but  thy  mother  hid  thee  three 
months  ;  and  they  told  about  her.  4.  And  she  made  for  thee 
an  ark,  and  covered  it  with  pitch  and  asphalt,  and  laid  it  in 
the  grass,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  placed  thee  into  it 
seven  days  ;  and  thy  mother  came  in  the  night  and  nursed 
thee,  and  during  the  days  thy  sister  Miriam  protected  thee 
from  the  wild  animals.  5.  And  in  those  days  Tarmiith,  the 
daughter  of  Pharaoh,  came  to  bathe  in  the  river,  and  she 
heard  thy  voice  crying,  and  she  told  her  Hebrew  maidens  that 
they  should  bring  thee  out  ;   and  ihey  brought  thee  to  them. 

6.  And   they  took   thee   out  of  the  ark,  and  she  pitied  thee. 

7.  And  thy  sister  said  :  "  Shall  I  go  and  call  for  thee  one  of 
the  Hebrew  women,  who  shall  raise  and  nurse  this  child  for 
thee?"  8.  And  she  said :  "Go."  9.  And  she  went  and 
called  thy  mother  Jokabed.  and  .she  gave  her  wages,  and  she 
raised  thee.  10.  And  when  thou  didst  grow,  they  brought 
thee  to  the  house  of  Pharaoh,  and  thou  became-st  his  son  ; 
and  Anbnram,  thy  father,  taught  thee  writing.  11.  And 
when  thou  didst  complete   three  weeks,  he   brought  thee  to 


THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES.  12$ 

the  royal  court.  12.  And  thou  wast  in  the  court  three  weeks 
of  years,  until  the  day  when  thou  didst  go  out  of  the  royal 
court,  and  didst  see  the  Egyptian  as  he  was  beating  thy  friend 
from  among  the  children  of  Israel.  13.  And  thou  slewest  him 
and  hid  him  in  the  sand,  and  on  the  following  day  thou 
foundest  two  of  the  children  of  Israel  quarrelling,  and  didst 
say  to  the  more  powerful :  ' '  Why  dost  thou  beat  thy  brother  ?" 
14.  And  he  became  angry  and  wroth,  and  said:  "Who  has 
set  thee  a  ruler  and  prince  over  us  ?  15.  Dost  thou  desire  to 
kill  me,  as  thou  didst  kill  the  Egyptian  yesterday?"  16.  And 
thou  didst  fear  and  flee  on  account  of  these  words. 

Chap.  XL VIII.  i.  And  in  the  sixth  year  of  the  third 
week  of  the  forty-ninth  jubilee,  thou  didst  go  and  dwell  here 
five  weeks  and  one  year,  and  didst  return  to  Egypt  in  the 
second    week,    in   the  second   year,    in    the  fiftieth   jubilee. 

2,  And  thou  knowest  what  he  spoke  to  thee  at  Mt.  Sinai, 
and  what  the  prince  Mastema  desired  to  do  with  thee,  as  thou 
returnest  to  Egypt,  on  the  way,  at   the  feast   of  tabernacles. 

3.  Did  he  not  with  all  his  power  seek  to  kill  thee,  and  to  save 
the  Egyptians  out  of  thy  hand,  when  thou  sawest  that  thou 
wert  sent  to  deliver  judgments  and  vengeance  over  the  Egyp- 
tians? 4.  And  I  delivered  thee  out  of  his  hands,  and  thou 
didst  the  signs  and  wonders  for  which  I  had  sent  thee  to  do 
in  Egypt  over  Pharaoh  and  over  all  his  house  and  over  his 
servants  and  over  his  people.  5.  And  the  Lord  inflicted  a 
great  vengeance  upon  them  for  I^srael's  sake,  and  beat  them 
and  killed  them  through  blood  and  frogs  and  flies  and  dog 
flies  and  breaking-out  skin-diseases,  and  also  their  animals 
by  death,  and  through  hail,  by  which  he  destroyed  every- 
thing that  grew  for  them  ;  and  through  grasshoppers,  who  ate 
the  rest  that  had  been  left  by  the  hail,  and  through  dark- 
ness ;  and  also  the  first-born  of  man  and  animals ;  and  on  all 
their  idols  the  Lord  took  vengeance  and  burned  them  with 
fire.  6.  And  everything  was  sent  through  thy  hand,  that 
thou  shouldst  do  it  before  it  was  done,  and  thou  didst  tell  it 
to  the  king  of  Egypt  and  before  all  of  his  servants  and  be- 
fore his  people.      7.   And  everything  took  place  according  to 


126  THE    BOOK    OF   JUBILEES. 

thy  words :  ten  great  and  terrible  judgments  came  over  the 
land  of  Egypt,  that  they  might  take  vengeance  for  Israel. 
And  all  the  deeds  of  the  Lord  concerning  Israel  and  accord- 
ing to  his  ordinance  which  he  covenanted  with  Abraham, 
that  he  would  take  vengeance  upon  them,  according  as  they 
had  served  the  Egyptians  in  oppression.  8.  And  the  prince 
Mastema  placed  himself  against  thee,  and  endeavored  to 
throw  thee  into  the  hand  of  Pharaoh  and  aided  the  sorcerers 
of  the  Egyptians,  and  stood  by  them,  and  they  performed 
them  before  thee  :  the  evils,  however,  we  permitted  them  to 
perform,  but  their  remedies  we  did  not  suffer  them  to  per- 
form by  their  hands.  9.  And  the  Lord  struck  them  with 
a  dire  pox,  and  they  were  not  able  to  withstand,  for  we  de- 
stroyed them  so  that  they  could  not  do  a  single  sign.  10, 
And  amid  all  the  signs  and  wonders,  the  prince  Mastema 
was  not  ashamed,  until  he  became  powerful  and  cried  to  the 
Egyptians  that  they  should  pursue  after  thee  with  all  the 
power  of  the  P2gyptians,  with  their  wagons  and  with  their 
horses  and  with  all  the  masses  of  the  people  of  Egypt.  1 1.  And 
I  stood  between  the  Egyptians  and  thee,  and  between  them 
and  Israel,  and  I  saved  the  Israelites  out  of  their  hands 
and  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Egyptians.  12.  And  the  Lord 
led  them  through  the  middle  of  the  sea,  as  if  it  were  dry 
land.  13.  And  all  the  people  he  caused  to  come  out  to 
pursue  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  cast  into  the  midst  of  the 
sea,  into  the  depths  of  the  abysses,  instead  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  because  the  people  of  Egypt  had  thrown  their 
children  by  the  hundreds  into  the  river:  vengeance  was  taken 
upon  them  and  one  thousand  powerful  men,  and  those  that 
were  strong,  perished  on  account  of  one  suckling  babe  which 
they  had  cast  into  the  river  from  amongst  thy  people.  14. 
And  on  the  fourteenth  day,  and  on  the  fifteenth  day,  and  on 
the  sixteenth  day,  and  on  the  seventeenth  day,  and  on  the 
eighteenth  day,  the  prince  Mastema  was  bound  and  chained 
behind  the  children  of  Israel,  so  that  he  could  not  accuse  the 
children  of  Israel.  15.  But  on  the  nineteenth  day  we 
let  him  loose,  so  that  he  could   help   the  Egyptians,  and  that 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  12/ 

they  could  pursue  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  he  made  hard 
their  hearts  and  strengthened  them  and  he  became  powerful 
according  to  the  Lord  our  God,  so  that  he  could  smite  the 
Egyptians  and  hurl  them  into  the  sea.  i6.  And  on  the 
fifteenth  day  we  bound  him,  so  that  he  could  not  accuse  the 
children  of  Israel  on  the  day  when  they  asked  for  the  utensils 
and  clothing  from  the  men  of  Egypt,  utensils  of  silver  and 
utensils  of  gold  and  utensils  of  iron,  in  order  to  despoil  the 
Egyptians  for  having  served  him  a  service  in  oppression :  and 
we  did  not  cause  the  children  of  Israel  to  go  out  of  Egypt 
empty  handed. 

Chap.  XLIX.  i.  Remember  the  command  which  the  Lord 
commanded  thee  concerning  the  Pascah,  that  thou  shalt  keep 
it  in  its  time,  on  the  fourteenth  of  the  first  month,  that  thou 
shalt  kill  it  before  the  evening  come,  and  that  they  shall  eat  it 
during  the  night,  on  the  evening  of  the  fifteenth,  from  the 
time  of  the  setting  of  the  sun,  for  this  is  the  first  day  of  the 
festival  and  the  first  Pascah.  2.  But  ye  were  engaged  in 
eating  the  Pascah  in  Egypt  while  all  the  powers  of  Mastema 
were  sent  forth  in  Egypt  to  destroy  all  the  first-born  in  the 
land  of  Egypt,  from  the  first-born  of  Pharaoh  to  the  first-born 
of  the  captive  servant  maid  in  the  mill,  and  down  to  the 
the  animals.  3.  And  this  is  the  sign  which  the  Lord  gave 
them :  In  every  house  at  whose  portals  they  had  thrown 
the  blood  of  a  year  old  sheep,  into  this  house  they  did  not 
enter  to  kill  those  that  were  locked  in  it,  so  that  all  who  were 
in  the  house  were  saved,  because  the  sign  of  blood  was  upon 
the  portals.  4.  And  the  powers  of  the  Lord  did  everything 
as  the  Lord  commanded  them,  and  they  passed  by  all  the 
sons  of  Israel,  and  no  plague  came  over  them  to  destroy  any 
soul  from  their  midst,  neither  of  beast  nor  of  man,  not  even  a 
dog.  And  the  plague  was  in  Egypt  exceedingly  great,  and 
there  was  no  house  in  Egypt  in  which  there  was  no  dead  body 
and  weeping  and  lamentation.  5.  And  all  Israel  was  engaged 
in  eating  the  meat  of  the  Pascah  and  drinking  wine,  and  they 
lauded  and  thanked  and  blessed  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers, 
and  were  prepared  to  go  out  from    under  the  yoke  of  Eg)'pt 


128  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

and  from  under  its  slavery.  6.  But  thou,  remember  this  day  all 
the  days  of  thy  life,  once  in  the  year,  on  its  day,  according  to  all 
the  law  thereof,  and  thou  shalt  not  change  the  day  for  another 
day,  or  the  month  for  another  month.  7.  For  it  is  an  ordi- 
nance of  eternity,  which  is  engraven  on  the  tablets  of  heaven 
concerning  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  shall  observe  each 
year  by  year  the  festivals  ;  once  a  year,  in  all  their  generations, 
and  it  has  no  limit  of  days,  for  it  is  ordained  for  eternity. 
8.  And  a  man,  if  he  is  pure  and  does  not  come  to  observe  in 
its  time  the  day,  to  bring  an  offering  which  is  acceptable  be- 
fore the  Lord  on  the  day  of  the  festival,  and  to  eat  and  to 
drink  before  the  Lord,  on  the  day  of  his  festival,  that  man 
shall  be  rooted  out,  if  he  is  pure  and  near,  because  he  has  not 
brought  the  offering  to  the  Lord  in  its  time,  and  that  man 
places  a  sin  upon  himself.  Let  the  children  of  Israel,  who 
will  yet  come,  observe  the  Pascah  on  the  day  of  its  time,  on 
the  fourteenth  of  the  first  month,  between  the  evenings,  in 
the  third  part  of  the  day  to  the  third  part  of  the  night ;  for 
two  parts  of  the  day  are  given  to  the  light  and  the  third  to  the 
evening  ;  this  it  is  that  the  Lord  has  commanded  that  thou 
shalt  observe  it  between  the  evenings.  9.  And  it  shall  not 
take  place  in  the  morning,  at  any  time  of  daylight,  but  only 
at  the  limits  of  the  evenings ;  and  they  shall  eat  it  in  the  time 
of  evening  until  the  third  night,  and  whatever  is  left  of  all  the 
meat  on  the  third  night,  they  shall  again  burn  in  the  fire, 
10.  And  they  shall  not  cook  it  in  water  and  shall  not  eat  it 
raw,  but  carefully  roasted  on  the  fire  and  broiled  on  the  fire; 
its  head  together  with  the  intestines  they  shall  roast,  and  its 
feet,  and  shall  not  break  any  bone  within  it,  for  none  of  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  have  any  bone  broken.  1 1.  On  this 
account  the  Lord  has  commanded  the  children  of  Israel  to  ob- 
.serve  the  Pascah  on  the  day  of  its  time,  and  that  no  bone  in 
it  shall  be  broken,  for  it  is  a  I'estival  and  a  day  commanded, 
and  there  must  be  no  change  from  it  from  one  day  toanother^ 
or  from  one  month  to  another,  but  on  the  day  shall  its  festi- 
val be  observed.  12.  liut  thou,  command  the  children  of 
Israel  that  they  should  observe  the   Pascah  on   its  days  in  all 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  12g 

the  years,  once  each  year,  on  the  day  of  its  fixed  time,  and 
that  it  shall  become  a  memorial  before  the  Lord  which  is  ac- 
ceptable, and  that  no  plague  come  over  them  to  kill  them  and 
to  scourge  them  in  that  year.  13.  If  they  observe  the  Pascah 
in  its  time  in  everything  as  they  have  been  commanded,  then 
it  is  not  allowed  them  to  eat  it  outside  of  the  sanctuary  of  the 
Lord,  and  all  the  people  of  the  assembly  of  Israel  shall  ob- 
serve it  in  its  time.  14.  Every  man  who  is  twenty  years  and 
above  who  comes  on  that  day  shall  eat  it  in  the  sanctuary  of 
your  God  before  the  Lord,  for  thus  it  is  written  and  ordained 
that  they  shall  eat  it  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord.  15.  And 
when  the  children  of  Israel  come  into  the  land  which  they 
shall  possess,  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  plant  the  tent  of 
the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  the  land,  within  one  of  their  hosts, 
until  the  time  when  the  sanctuarv  of  the  Lord  shall  have  been 
built  in  the  land,  then  they  shall  come  and  observe  the  Pascah 
in  the  midst  of  the  tent  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  sacrifice  it  be- 
fore the  Lord  from  year  to  year.  16.  And  in  the  days  when 
a  house  shall  have  been  built  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  in  the 
land  of  their  inheritance,  they  shall  go  there  and  slay  the 
Pascah  in  the  evening,  as  the  sun  goes  down,  in  the  third  part 
of  the  day.  17.  And  they  shall  place  the  blood  on  the  founda- 
tion of  the  altar,  and  the  fat  they  shall  lay  upon  the  fire  upon  the 
altar,  and  shall  eat  flesh  thereof  that  has  been  roasted  at  the 
fire,  in  the  court  of  the  sanctuary  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
18.  And  they  must  not  observe  the  Pascah  in  their  cities  and 
in  all  their  districts,  but  only  before  the  tent  of  the  Lord  or 
before  his  house,  where  his  name  dwells,  so  that  ye  do  not 
trespass  against  the  Lord.  19.  But  thou,  Moses,  command 
the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  shall  observe  the  ordinance  of 
the  Pascah  as  it  has  been  commanded  to  thee,  that  they  shaU 
observe  the  day  year  by  year,  and  its  day  and  the  festival  of 
the  unleavened  bread,  that  they  shall  eat  unleavened  bread 
seven  days,  so  that  they  observe  its  festival,  that  they  bring  an 
offering  day  by  day  in  these  seven  days  of  the  Pascah  before 
the  Lord  on  the  altar  of  your  God.  20.  For  this  festival  ye 
observed  with  trembling  when  ye  went  out  of  Egypt  until  ye 


130  THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES. 

had  gone  through  the   sea  into  the  desert  of  Sur,  for  on  the 
shore  of  the  sea  ye  completed  it. 

Chap.  L.  i.  And  after  this  law  I  made  known  to  thee  the 
days  of  Sabbaths  in  the  desert  Sinai,  which  is  between  Elam 
and  Sinai.  2.  And  I  told  you  concerning  the  Sabbaths  of  the 
earth  on  Mt.  Sinai,  and  concerning  the  years  of  jubilees  with 
the  Sabbaths  ;  and  also  the  year  I  mentioned  to  you  ;  but  the 
year  thereof  we  did  not  tell  you,  until  thou  comest  into  the  land 
which  ye  shall  possess  ;  and  ye  shall  make  the  land  also 
observe  the  Sabbaths  for  those  dwelling  in  it,  and  the  years 
of  jubilees  shall  learn.  3.  Concerning  this  I  have  ordained 
for  thee  the  weeks  of  years  and  the  jubilees,  from  the  days  of 
Adam  to  this  day:  forty-nine  [jubilees]  and  one  week  and 
two  years  ;  and  yet  forty  years  are  before  for  learning  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord,  until  ye  cross  the  border  of  the 
land  of  Canaan,  crossing  the  Jordan  on  the  western  side,  and 
jubilees  will  pass  b\'  until  Israel  shall  be  cleansed  from  all 
fornication  and  guilt  and  uncleanness  and  contamination  and 
sin  and  transgression,  and  shall  dwell  in  all  the  land  in  safety, 
and  no  Satan  and  no  evil  one  will  injure  him,  and  the  land 
will  be  cleansed  from  that  time  on  and  to  eternity.  4.  And, 
behold,  the  command  of  the  Sabbaths  I  have  written  down  for 
thee,  and  all  the  judgments  of  its  laws.  5.  Six  days  thou  shalt 
do  work,  and  on  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord, 
your  God ;  ye  shall  not  do  any  work  on  it,  neither  ye,  nor 
your  children,  nor  your  male  servants,  nor  \'our  maid  servants, 
nor  any  of  your  beasts,  nor  }'our  stranger  who  is  with  you.  6. 
The  man  that  does  any  work  on  it  shall  die,  and  every  man 
who  desecrates  this  day,  who  lies  with  a  wife,  and  who  says 
that  he  will  do  something  on  it,  that  he  will  make  a  trip  on 
it,  or  concerning  all  bu\'ing  and  selling,  and  who  draws  water 
on  it  which  he  did  not  prepare  for  himself  on  the  sixth  day 
and  whoever  takes  up  a  burden  to  carry  it  out  of  his  tent  or 
out  of  his  house,  he  shall  die.  7.  Ve  shall  not  do  any  work 
on  the  Sabbath  which  ye  have  not  prepared  for  yourselves  on 
the  sixth  day,  to  eat  or  to  drink  or  to  rest  or  to  keep  Sabbath 
from  all   yovw  wr)rk  on  that  da)',  and  to   l^lcss  the  Lonl  jour 


THE    BOOK    OF    JUBILEES.  I3I 

God,  who  has  given  it  to  you  as  a  festival  day;  and  a  holy  day 
it  shall  be,  and  a  day  of  the  holy  kingdom,  for  all  Israel  this 
day,  among  your  days,  in  all  the  days.  8.  For  great  is  the 
honor  which  the  Lord  has  given  to  Israel  to  eat  and  to  drink 
and  to  be  satisfied  on  this  festival  day,  after  resting  on  this 
day  from  all  the  work  of  the  children  of  men,  except  burning 
frankincense  and  bringing  offerings  and  sacrifices  before  the 
Lord  on  the  days  and  the  Sabbaths.  9.  This  work  alone  shall 
be  done  on  the  Sabbath  days,  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord 
your  God,  so  that  these  shall  appear  over  Israel  as  a  constant 
atonement,  day  by  day,  as  a  memorial,  which  is  acceptable 
before  the  Lord  and  received  forever,  day  by  day,  as  I  have 
commanded  thee.  lo.  And  every  man  who  does  any  work 
on  this  day,  or  makes  a  journey,  or  works  his  land,  be  it  in 
the  house  or  at  any  other  place,  and  whoever  lights  a  fire  or 
rides  upon  any  beast,  or  travels  by  ship  upon  the  sea,  and 
everyone  that  strikes  or  kills  anything,  or  kills  an  animal  or  a 
bird,  and  who  catches  an  animal  and  bird  and  fish,  and  who  con- 
tends or  engages  in  war  on  the  Sabbath  day,  the  man  that  does 
any  of  these  things  on  the  Sabbath  day,  shall  die,  so  that  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  observe  the  Sabbaths,  according  to  the 
command  of  the  Sabbath  of  the  land,  as  it  is  written  on  the 
tablets  of  heaven,  which  he  gave  into  my  hands,  that  I  should 
write  for  thee  the  laws  of  the  times,  and  the  different  times  in 
the  division  of  their  days. 


o 


Date  Due 


